MANILA, Philippines – The son of Claire dela Fuente has detailed the former jukebox icon’s battle with COVID-19. The late OPM singer, 63, succumbed to cardiac arrest on Tuesday, March 30.
According to Gigo de Guzman, he and dela Fuente tested positive for COVID-19 last Friday, March 26. While he is asymptomatic, Dela Fuente exhibited mild symptoms such as fever, cough and colds.
Gigo believes they contracted the virus from a household staff who went out to buy essentials since neither him or dela Fuente recently left the house.
In his interview with GMA News, Gigo revealed that his mother was not admitted completely in the hospital during the time she was battling COVID-19. He said that dela Fuente had to stay in a tent outside Las Piñas Doctors Hospital while waiting to be confined.
On Monday, March 29, dela Fuente was eventually transferred to Pope John Paul II hospital. The late jukebox queen died of cardiac arrest while at the emergency room of the said hospital.
"Everything seemed fine and she seemed OK until last night when her anxiety got the best of her. We were told that her heart gave in this morning and they tried to revive her but there was nothing they could do," he told GMA News.
Furthermore, Gigo also shared his last moments with his mother. Even in her last moments, dela Fuente was worrying about Gigo.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, he said: “Yesterday, she was fine, I got to speak to her. Got to argue with her one last time, because she gave me the wrong address and she didn’t tell me she was transferred to another hospital. She made me order food for her. All the while, she kept worrying about me and my symptoms. I told her not to worry about me because she’s the one who needs, who is more at risk.”
Dubbed as “the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines”, dela Fuente became a household name in the 1970s because of her jukebox hit “Sayang”. The renowned OPM singer, who was also known as “Asia’ Sweetest Voice”, also ventured into different businesses including running her own bus company and a chain of seafood restaurants named after her.
— Mini, The Summit Express
According to Gigo de Guzman, he and dela Fuente tested positive for COVID-19 last Friday, March 26. While he is asymptomatic, Dela Fuente exhibited mild symptoms such as fever, cough and colds.
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| Claire dela Fuente with son Gigo de Guzman. PHOTO CREDIT: CNN Philippines |
Gigo believes they contracted the virus from a household staff who went out to buy essentials since neither him or dela Fuente recently left the house.
In his interview with GMA News, Gigo revealed that his mother was not admitted completely in the hospital during the time she was battling COVID-19. He said that dela Fuente had to stay in a tent outside Las Piñas Doctors Hospital while waiting to be confined.
On Monday, March 29, dela Fuente was eventually transferred to Pope John Paul II hospital. The late jukebox queen died of cardiac arrest while at the emergency room of the said hospital.
"Everything seemed fine and she seemed OK until last night when her anxiety got the best of her. We were told that her heart gave in this morning and they tried to revive her but there was nothing they could do," he told GMA News.
Furthermore, Gigo also shared his last moments with his mother. Even in her last moments, dela Fuente was worrying about Gigo.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, he said: “Yesterday, she was fine, I got to speak to her. Got to argue with her one last time, because she gave me the wrong address and she didn’t tell me she was transferred to another hospital. She made me order food for her. All the while, she kept worrying about me and my symptoms. I told her not to worry about me because she’s the one who needs, who is more at risk.”
Dubbed as “the Karen Carpenter of the Philippines”, dela Fuente became a household name in the 1970s because of her jukebox hit “Sayang”. The renowned OPM singer, who was also known as “Asia’ Sweetest Voice”, also ventured into different businesses including running her own bus company and a chain of seafood restaurants named after her.
— Mini, The Summit Express
