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Dianne Gallo, a 21-year-old nursing student from Tacloban City, is a proud COVID-19 survivor. She suffered horribly and almost gave up, until she placed her full trust in Him and miraculously survived.
"Prevention is better than cure”, an overrated cliché but makes sense now more than ever. You never know when you will be facing danger and when you should celebrate freedom—it all depends on fate and every tick of the clock. Here is the timeline of her COVID journey:
BLINDED WITH WRONG THOUGHTS Her parents are both frontliners: her mother is a nurse while her father is a firefighter. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, her mother frequently came home late and her father even failed to return home at times.
Back then, little Dianne was fascinated by the thought that her parents were like superheroes without capes, going around saving lives. However, when the pandemic entered the scene, realizations hit her—saving lives meant facing danger, too. The situation brought drastic changes to their family.
THE UNEXPECTED TRANSMISSION Their panic and fear subsided as the year passed. Less severe COVID-19 cases were recorded, leaving them relieved as they assumed that everything was slowly reverting back to normal. However, upon visiting her father’s workplace, an officemate, who was also a close friend, was unknowingly experiencing COVID-19 symptoms– putting them at great risk of being infected as they spent the day hanging out, ignoring the quarantine protocols.
CAPTURED BY AN INVISIBLE FOE Unbeknownst to her parents, Dianne already had a dry cough the night before. She hesitated to tell them about her condition because she feared being sent to the quarantine facility for two weeks if tested positive. She just ignored her symptoms, assuming that they were just caused by the common cold.
In just a week, she already suffered from almost all the COVID-19 symptoms such as body malaise, dry cough, fatigue, skin rash, loss of taste, loss of smell, chest pain and difficulty in breathing. She was then scheduled for a swab test together with her parents and as expected, all of them were positive.
Shortly after getting the results, her symptoms intensified which caused her to plead for hospitalization. Her condition was also aggravated by comorbidities such as bronchial asthma, skin asthma, and an anaphylactic shock level 2. She was confined in Divine World Hospital for four days to get medical treatment but was discharged early due to lack of financial funds and government insurance.
Without any other choice, Dianne finished her 14-day quarantine at home. After two weeks of suffering, they got tested again and results finally showed negative. Mixed emotions piled up within her.
Dianne's experience is an eye opener to everyone. In these trying times, life is unpredictable and no one can escape the risk of infection. According to her, God will always be with you no matter what. Her COVID-19 journey is a testament to the fleeting nature of life. With this, she realized that incautious actions come with detrimental repercussions. Indeed, Dianne, a COVID-19 survivor who persistently fought against the disease, is a true emblem of a warrior.
Cristy Arquilos and Armyah Solinap
Photos courtesy of Dianne Gallo
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