Guest Voice: I am stronger than my weakness from MG

“You will never amount to anything” and “useless” are words that were etched into my mind since I was very young.

Difficulty breathing, chewing, swallowing, and speaking are just some of the symptoms I experience every day. Because of these, I once came close to believing those words. Maybe this is all that life has for me, I thought. Maybe this is the life I’m destined to live.

My childhood had been happy. There were four of us in the family, including my father, mother, younger brother, and me. We lived in a small, simple home in the town of Bato, Camarines Sur, Philippines. I played freely, as if tomorrow didn’t exist. But in a single moment, everything changed when my mother fell ill. While my father did everything he could to help her recover, sadly, she didn’t survive. I lost her when I was 9 years old.

Recommended Reading

January 22, 2026 Columns by Sarah Bendiff

Being silent about my MG symptoms is like wearing a mask

Fate tested me at a young age. I was left with responsibilities far beyond my years while my father buried himself in work to provide for us and ease the pain of losing my mother. We tried to live a normal life, even though it would never be the same again.

When I reached the age of 13, I began to feel that something was wrong with my body. I experienced severe fatigue, weakness, and frequent episodes where my knees would suddenly give out, causing me to collapse. At first, I thought it was normal. But as time passed, my symptoms worsened, and I experienced drooping eyelids, double vision, difficulty swallowing, and difficulty speaking. Eventually, I could no longer walk or speak.

“Why, Lord? Why me? What did I do to deserve this?” These were questions I could never find answers to.

Devi Rose Cabañez, left, is the proud mother of her 14-year-old son, Earl Nathan. (Courtesy of Devi Rose Cabañez)

I lost the will to live. My insecurities grew. I envied people my age with normal lives, as they went to school, enjoyed their friends, and lived freely. Meanwhile, I was bedridden and unable to move, eat on my own, or speak. In simple terms, I became disabled.

My family did everything they could to help me recover, or at least find out what illness I had. But due to financial limitations and outdated beliefs, I was often taken to faith healers instead of receiving proper medical care. Eventually, I gave up on treatment altogether.

At one point, even my family nearly grew to accept my condition, waiting for the day my life would end. I was bedridden for four years.

Shaped by resilience

Then, one day, as my condition became critical, I was finally taken to the hospital. There, I met the doctor who changed everything. At the age of 17, I was finally diagnosed with a rare condition called myasthenia gravis (MG). He prescribed medication, and I instantly began regaining strength and the ability to speak.

The joy my family felt was indescribable, but also mixed with sadness, because we learned that my illness has no cure.

But on that day, hope returned to my heart. I accepted my condition and educated myself about it, even while hearing people say things like, “You will never achieve anything in life.” I treated that day as my second chance at life, a gift I refused to waste.

I joined a support group in the Philippines, where I learned more about my condition and met people who truly understood me. Slowly, my life returned to something close to normal.

I don’t believe we can recover the years we’ve lost, but we can always move forward. I finished my education through the alternative learning system and returned to my first love, singing. I refused to let my condition stop me from pursuing the dreams that were once put on hold.

Life still isn’t easy. I continue to take maintenance medications, attend regular checkups, and face days of physical and emotional struggle. I’ve loved and lost, but I’ve also been blessed with a child, whom I now raise on my own with all the strength I have.

Today, I stand not as someone defined by illness, but as someone shaped by resilience. MG may be part of my story, but it will never be the end of it. I am more than my weakness, more than the words spoken against me, and more than the pain I’ve endured.

To anyone who feels broken, forgotten, or defeated, remember this: We are bigger than our problems. It is OK not to be OK. Hard seasons are temporary, but courage and hope can last a lifetime. Acceptance and adaptability are not signs of surrender; they are acts of strength.

A diagnosis is not a death sentence. A setback is not the end of the road. As long as we are breathing, there is purpose. And as long as we keep believing, a beautiful plan is still being written for our lives.

To submit your own Guest Voice for publication on Myasthenia Gravis News, please email your idea to our columns manager at [email protected] with the following included in the subject line: “Guest Voice: Myasthenia Gravis News.”

Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.