A MOTHER’S JOURNEY WITH FLORAMHIE JOY

written by mommy Joniña

Hi everyone. My name is Joniña Guillermo, 37 years old, a single mother blessed with two wonderful children. Today, I humbly share the story of my daughter Floramhie Joy - a journey marked by fear, sacrifice, unwavering faith, and the kindness of an entire community.

Floramhie’s health struggles began when she was just six months old. She had persistent coughing that only worsened with time. We consulted several private doctors, but her condition was never fully understood or closely monitored. At nine months, she was hospitalized with bilateral pneumonia. After a week of treatment, she improved, and we hoped the worst was behind us.

But as the years passed, coughing and recurring fevers became part of our normal life. As she grew older, we convinced ourselves she was getting better- never imagining that something far more serious was silently affecting her heart.

To provide for my children, I worked overseas for several years in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi. While I was away, I received the phone call that shattered my world: Floramhie had been diagnosed with congenital heart disease.

Our late town doctor, Dr. Tambanelio, referred her to Dr. Judah Guzar, a cardiologist in Bacolod City. After a series of tests - laboratories, X-ray, and echocardiogram - the diagnosis was confirmed. I was thousands of miles away, crying myself to sleep every night, asking God why. But even in my pain, I knew I had to be strong - for my child.

When I finally came home, I was told that Floramhie needed open-heart surgery in Manila, with an estimated cost of ₱800,000. It was an amount far beyond our means. For years, even sustaining her maintenance medications was already a struggle.

Still, we pressed on. We learned from fellow parents and support groups how to seek assistance from government agencies, party-list representatives, senators, and charitable foundations. Each step was slow and exhausting, but hope kept us moving.

In 2025, we were finally given a surgery schedule for August 26. However, our funds and guarantee letters were still insufficient, so the doctors proceeded first with cardiac catheterization. The results showed that Floramhie’s condition was high risk.

That was when Dr. Malanyaon presented me with the most painful decision a mother could ever face:

Spend more time with her as she is, or take the risk of surgery with only a small chance of success.

At that moment, all I could do was surrender everything to God. Prayer became our lifeline.

We missed two surgery schedules - August 26 and November 19 - each cancellation another heartbreak. But we never stopped praying. Finally, in December, through God’s grace, the prayers of many, and the generosity of kind-hearted supporters, everything aligned.

On December 5, 2025, at the Philippine Heart Center, Floramhie was brought into the operating room for her open-heart surgery. Part of the cost was covered through government funding, and a crucial portion was made possible through the Rotary Club of Cebu under the Gift of Life Program.

I was a bundle of tears and fear - but what gave me strength was seeing excitement and courage in my daughter’s eyes.

✨ THANK YOU, LORD. ✨

God heard our prayers. The surgery was successful. Floramhie was discharged on December 27, and today she is recovering well—stronger, brighter, and full of life.

From the depths of my heart, I thank the Let It Echo community for being our safe space—our source of encouragement, guidance, and hope. To the Rotary Club of Cebu, the Gift of Life Program, and every individual who prayed, donated, shared our story, or simply believed with us—thank you. You are instruments of God’s love.

May the Lord bless you abundantly and allow you to help many more families like ours. 🙏

“Faith doesn’t make things easy—it makes them possible.” ❤️