Cebuana playwright passes away

REVERED playwright, stage director and artist Daisy Brillantes Baad died in her sleep at one of Cebu City’s hospitals at 10:35 a.m yesterday.

Baad, who was afflicted with sarcoma since September last year, was attended to by close friend Michelle Simtoco and her brother Jeff hours before she passed away.

Minutes after news of her death was known, Baad’s family, friends and followers flooded her Facebook account with messages of condolences.

In her Facebook account, Simtoco said Baad asked her if she could be with her when she passes away.

She recalled that she has never done it before and it “scared her a little.”

“Do you really want me to go there?,” she recalled asking Baad. “If you like,” Baad replied.

Simtoco said she met Baad, who also served as a motivational speaker, in a charismatic community in 2006.

Simtoco said Baad was in and out of the hospital for chemo-therapy before she was brought home for palliative care.

She said Baad’s family decided that she be brought home after her cancer reached terminal stage. But Baad was rushed to the hospital last Friday after complaining of unbearable pain.

Last Saturday night, Simtoco said Baad  kept her eyes closed but blew kisses to family members who sang  “Amazing Grace.”

Simtoco and Jeff Baad were at her bedside when Baad breathed her last.

Minutes before, Simtoco said when she visited Baad, she whispered to her “It’s time to rest, everybody loves you” and Baad opened her eyes.

When Simtoco sang the first chorus of the Michael Jackson song “Heal the World,” Baad then closed her eyes and her vitals flatlined.  “She died peacefully,” Simtoco said.

Simtoco said Baad asked her family that her remains be cremated at the St. Peter’s Funeral Homes in Imus where her wake was held. Daisy was cremated at past 6 p.m yesterday.

“Daisy didn’t give us headaches or problems when she was still a patient. She asks what kind of medicines we gave to her and she really follows her medicine routine,” Simtoco said.

Simtoco considers Baad as a good spiritual friend whom she met while teaching music ministry at the Light of Jesus.

Last June 3, 2012, Baad wrote and published a book entitled “How I turned a punishing God into one madly in love with me.”

“The basic foundation of our friendship was love for God,” Simtoco said.

She said in her Facebook account that she was thankful to God that He allowed her to “go freely and willingly and lovingly.” /Christine Emily L. Pantaleon Correspondent