In a small alley in Barangay San Isidro, Quezon City, everyone knows Grandpa Ben – a thin, stooped old man in his seventies who works hard every day to take care of Ana, his ten-year-old orphaned granddaughter. Ana’s father works far away as an OFW, and her mother died before she could remember her face. Her grandfather is her only support.
The entire neighborhood sympathizes with the two of them as they rely on each other. Every morning, Grandpa takes Ana’s hand to the entrance of the alley to ride a jeepney to school, and in the afternoon, he cooks rice and helps her with her homework. Everyone can feel his love for Ana.
One warm afternoon in early autumn, Aling Lani – a neighbor next door who sells goods at the sari-sari store at the entrance of the alley – comes to visit. Grandpa Ben’s door is almost closed. She was about to call when she heard him whisper, immediately:
“Ana, don’t sleep… Wake up, don’t be afraid of Grandpa…”
Through the crack in the door, she saw him holding his granddaughter tightly, trembling and continuing to call, while Ana was still lying there, her face pale. Aling Lani was shocked, her heart pounding. Horrifying thoughts flashed through her mind: an old man alone at home with his granddaughter, now the granddaughter was unconscious in his arms… How unusual!
Without having time to think much, she tremblingly dialed 911, reporting “signs of danger” at the neighbor’s house; At the same time, she called the barangay Tanod for help.
Only ten minutes later the police and ambulance rushed in. The entire alley was in chaos. Curious people gathered around, whispering:
“Could something be wrong?”
“Oh, this is scary…”
The door opened. Before their eyes, Grandpa Ben was holding Ana, his face covered in sweat, his eyes red. When he saw the doctor and the police, he shouted anxiously…– “Save my grandson! This morning he was unconscious, I was shaking him but he didn’t wake up!”
The medical staff immediately looked at him. After a few minutes, they breathed a sigh of relief:
– “Severe hypoglycemia. We’ll take him to the hospital right away!”
People groaned. The doubts from before turned into shame. People looked at each other, feeling sad because they had thought badly of the old man.
Grandpa Ben burst into tears, he ran to the stretcher while shaking:
– “Because I am poor, I have no money to buy healthy food… This morning he said he was full, I thought he was telling the truth, but who would have thought…
At the East Avenue Medical Center, after timely emergency care, Ana gradually regained consciousness. The baby was very tired but whispered:
– “Don’t cry… I’m fine… just tired…”
Grandpa hugged his granddaughter tightly, dizzy:
– “Grandpa is scared… I thought I had lost you. Grandpa is the only one left…”
The doctor explained: Ana has congenital type 1 diabetes, requiring a special diet and blood sugar monitoring; Otherwise, it is easy to have low blood sugar which is very dangerous. Grandpa Ben was speechless when he heard that. Old age, poor health, limited money; now with his grandson’s illness – poverty compounded poverty.
At that moment, Aling Lani came in, holding his hand:
– “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding… But thanks to that, the ambulance arrived on time. From now on, you are not alone. Everyone will take care of you.”
Grandpa looked up and saw the sincerity in her eyes. He nodded slightly. His eyes were still blurry, but his heart warmed.
After that incident, the small neighborhood loved Ana even more. Some donated rice, others donated money; the pharmacy owner donated blood sugar test strips; the barangay hall called for support for glucose gel. Ana’s school also organized separate meals, teaching teachers to recognize the signs of hypoglycemia for timely treatment.
The story gradually calmed down, but whenever she remembered that first moment of doubt, Aling Lani still trembled. She told her neighbors:
– “Sometimes it’s easy to think wrongly about others. But Grandpa Ben’s love for his grandson – no one can deny it.”
Since then, the image of the grandfather bending down to lead his grandson to school has become a hot symbol in Barangay San Isidro. And the call to 911 because of that misunderstanding saved Ana’s life, at the same time strengthening the bonds of the village and love for others.