Saab Magalona reveals son Pancho was accepted into a regular school: 'I started out skeptical, now I’m excited'
Saab Magalona is excited after her eldest son Pancho, who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, has been accepted into a regular school.
On her Instagram account, the actress and singer posted a video of her son smiling eagerly while he was visiting his new school. Along with Saab, Pancho was accompanied by his dad, musician Jim Bacarro.
In the caption, Magalona opened up about how she was initially hesitant about letting him go to this kind of environment because of his condition.
Cerebral palsy is "a group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture," according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"As a mom with birthing trauma, I was skeptical and I thought of all the excuses for him to just stay home," Magalona wrote, detailing some of her fears that she almost lost him and that he'll be much safer when he's at home.
However, according to her, it was recommended by her son's neurodevelopmental pediatrician that it would be better if he would surround himself with his peers and go to school.
"I learned that parents with birthing trauma have a hard time sending their kids to school and sometimes we can even get competitive with the teachers," Magalona wrote.
"It’s been a struggle but I know in my heart this is what’s good for Pancho. This is good for me and Jim, too. I started out skeptical, now I’m excited," she added.
She ended her post by asking for prayers and well-wishes from her followers that her son's schooling goes well.
Saab and Jim welcomed their "miracle boy" after suffering serious complications during his birth—including sepsis, pulmonary hypertension, ventriculitis, and intraventricular hemorrhage—in 2018. The couple, unfortunately, lost their baby girl (Pancho's twin) in the process.
For the past few years, Magalona has been documenting her son's growth as he's been going through therapy sessions, which help him with his speech and communication, among others.
Aside from Pancho, Saab and Jim also have another son, Vito, who is three years old.