Valentine’s Day proved to be a most blessed day for couple Jericho Jose “Jayjay” and Christine del Feliz Lucas, the parents of Caitlin Soleil “Courageous Caitie” Lucas, who died of a rare disease last year.
After losing their 3-year-old daughter, who had contracted juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), Jayjay broke the good news that his wife gave birth to another daughter on Tuesday.
“So surreal still…We lost Caitie around 11:25 am…held her in our arms…and now our baby daughter came into this world at 11:25 am on the day the world know it’s all about love today. What are the chances…Thank you, Lord,” Jayjay captioned his Facebook photo of his wife and their newborn daughter.
BACKSTORY: Courageous Catie, girl with rare blood cancer, passes away
Symptoms of Caitie’s rare disease were discovered back in September 2016, when lesions akin to mosquito bites appeared on her arms and legs. Despite treatment and hefty hospitals bills amounting to P4.5 million, Caitie’s lesions worsened and popped on her face while she suffered from abdominal pain, enlarged spleen and liver, and recurring diarrhea problems.
To boost chances of saving her life, Caitie and her parents sought treatment in Singapore in February last year. Doctors of the National University Hospital diagnosed the mysterious illness that was tormenting Catie for months as JMML, which afflicts only one in a million American children and has no treatment protocol.
READ: Courageous Catie’s story of pain, hope
Caitie’s agonizing yet touching story made rounds on social media after Christine opened a Facebook page documenting her daughter’s life in the hospital.
Caitie passed away on March 31, 2016, but radiant memories of her courageousness will continue to remain in her parents’ and netizen’s hearts. “Today our daughter has gone to Jesus,” Feliz and Jayjay captioned their last family photo with Catie. “You were awesome, my daughter.” Gianna Francesca Catolico / RA
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