Highly regarded as she was in international medical circles, Dr. Fe del Mundo was our beloved Tita Fe, who cared for us as patients and as nieces and nephews.
When I was little, my pediatrician was my mom’s aunt, Lola Bongie. My mom took pride in how none of her four children was ever confined in a hospital, and attributed it to Lola Bongie’s expertise.
I remember the last time I went back to Manila. It was about 11 years ago, and I had gone to visit you. By that time, our family had settled in the United States except for you, who had opted to stay behind to continue practicing medicine in Manila.
Twenty-month-old Sandy came in for his first dental checkup. His mom Cris was expecting a routine inspection of her son’s cute smile. Instead, she was shocked at the pediatric dentist’s diagnosis: dental caries and possible fracture due to brittle teeth.
Parents nowadays tend to be more careful when it comes to decisions regarding their family’s health, in Tagalog, maselan. And...
