Doctor and mental health advocate Gia Sison passes away at 53
Medical doctor and mental health advocate Gia Baquiran-Sison has passed away. She was 53.
Asociación de Alumnas de Poveda (AAP) announced the news on Thursday, March 21, saying that she passed away at 1:44 p.m. and was "surrounded by her family and loved ones."
“Wife, mother, daughter, sister, hermana and friend. Doctor, podcaster, host. A mental health warrior, cancer survivor and celebrity all the days of her life. Her light continues on in all whose lives she touched,” they added.
Her cause of death was not disclosed.
Early this month, Sison revealed that she experienced “dying” for six seconds last Feb. 25 due to aborted sudden cardiac death—a condition when “the heartbeat suddenly stops, patient goes into cardiac arrest, pulse goes to zero, blood pressure drops to zero, and patient drops dead."
Detailing her experience, Sison shared with PhilSTAR L!fe that it happened while she and her partner Rogin were casually having a conversation one February afternoon. "Suddenly na lang, I slowly faded away. I just suddenly saw black," she recalled.
She woke up just a few seconds later to her husband repeatedly telling her: "Come back."
"When I opened my eyes, I saw my doctors, nurses, everyone was there to revive me. I finally saw so many bottles of life-saving IV solutions on my arm," she shared, adding that she was calmed down by Rogin "who was there all throughout."
"It made me realize that life is short and any time, it can just be swept away from you like a rug, so live life to its fullest."
Sison was a medical doctor, mental health advocate, and host. She had her own segment, G Talks on CNN Philippines and served as one of the podcasters of Walwal Sesh on Spotify with Renz Argao and Vino Orajay which covers topics including heartbreak, love, sex, equality, and mental health, among others.
She was also vocal about surviving breast cancer and has been sparking hope, inspiration, and awareness by sharing her experience with the disease.