“Awang-awa talaga ako sa nangyari sa kanya na parang naririnig ko pa rin ang pag-iyak niya nang malakas”, this was how her aunt described the incident involving her three-year-old niece, who was accidentally scalded by boiling water from her mother one afternoon after they had finished eating lunch. Ms. Alisa May continued telling the story with tears in her eyes. She witnessed the little girl approach her mother, excited to show her the new toy she was holding. The mother, however, did not notice the child coming closer. At the same time, the aunt had briefly stepped away to get a charger from inside the room.
In their small, warm kitchen, a mother’s worried scream echoed through the house as the old kettle she was holding slipped from her grasp. The house was suddenly filled with the cries of Alisa’s niece after boiling water accidentally spilled onto her. Her mother had not noticed the child standing beside her as she was about to pour hot water into the freshly washed baby bottles. Seeing what had happened, both the mother and Alisa could not help but cry as well.
Panicking, the mother immediately brought her daughter to their small sink and placed the affected areas under cool running water from the faucet. As she tended to her child, tears of regret streamed down her face, blaming herself for what had happened. Alisa could feel the heaviness in her heart as she watched the mother desperately try to help her daughter. She took ice from the refrigerator and gently soothed the child’s reddened skin, which had started to peel after the boiling water spilled onto her chubby right cheek and small right arm.
They admitted that they were struggling financially. As much as they wanted to rush the child to a nearby hospital, they simply could not afford to do so.
“After nung nangyaring ‘yun, pinilit kong tatagan ang loob ko para sa kanila, kahit lutang pa yung isip ko, pinulot ko yung takure, pinunasan ang mga tulo ng tubig sa sahig, inayos ang mga padede..” Alisa recalled, moving gently her hands as she told the story.
Although the hardship they went through was still visible in her eyes as she remembered the incident, a different kind of sparkle appeared when she began talking about what helped her niece that day.
“Hanggang ngayon nga hanga ako sa kakayahan nitong si Skin Atoz, mabuti na lamang ay bumili ako”, Alisa proudly shared as she talked about the cream she had originally purchased for herself after a friend recommended it to her.
Her friend had told her that it could be used for different skin conditions, including sensitive or dry skin, skin rashes, burns, post-laser treatment and eczema. She was also told that it could be used on sensitive areas of the body and by people of different ages, from babies to adults.
“As in parang may magic kasi grabe yung kakayahan neto na nagawa sa pamangkin ko, parang di s’ya natapunan ng mainit na tubig kasi napahiran ito tatlong araw pa matapos yung insidente.” Alisa described with a smile on her lips.
Behind every wound is a story that cannot always be seen at first glance—a story of fear, worry, and love that will find a way to ease someone’s pain.
For Alisa, what happened to her niece is something she will never easily forget. But beyond the fear she felt, that experience showed her that in the middle of unexpected happenings, sometimes comfort can come through the gentle touch of Skin Atoz.