MANILA, Philippines — Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel’s wife, Kathryna shared on Thursday the first glimpse of their newborn daughter.
In a Facebook post, Kathryna said she and her daughter, Baby Helena, “survived a miracle emergency C-section delivery” last March 29.
“(I am) grateful for my 2nd life…Thank you to all of those who helped us, sacrificed (and) risked themselves just to save my life and baby Helena… I will be forever grateful to all of you… to the hospital and doctors who really took care of us with open arms,” she wrote.
“I am very humbled that all of (you) monitored me and our baby 24/7. We felt the genuine love, commitment & concern that no amount of money can buy…up to now I still can’t believe that me & my miracle baby are alive,” he added.
Kathyrna was initially scheduled to undergo a cesarean operation last March 24 but it was postponed after her husband received confirmation that he tested positive for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Pimentel had accompanied his wife to the Makati Medical Center (MMC) for her scheduled cesarean delivery even though he was supposed to be under self-quarantine for having COVID-19 symptoms as early as March 14.
That was when he received a call from the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) confirming that he is positive for the disease.
Once news broke that Pimentel contracted the disease, netizens were quick to call him out saying he violated quarantine protocols when he accompanied his wife to the hospital despite manifesting symptoms.
The MMC itself denounced what it called “irresponsible and reckless” actions of the senator for breaching infection control protocols.
Pimentel has since apologized to the hospital but maintained he did not intentionally violate quarantine protocols and stressed he did not mean to “do harm on anyone.”