Hello! I hope you are having a good day! My name is Mary Grace, but you can call me Grace. I’m 34 years of age. I am from Manila Philippines and I graduated Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Our Lady of Fatima University. I took up Nursing because I really wanted to become a nurse. It was my childhood dream. We are a family of 8. Quite big if you would ask me but it was fun growing up with my 5 siblings, (four of them were boys) and I had one sister who is the youngest. I am second to the oldest. Three of my brothers have their own family now. Our eldest Joven (37 years old) has a daughter that is 1 year old, my 3rd sibling (Mark Joseph) has a 2 years old daughter and my 4th sibling (Michael) has 3 years old daughter. My mother Gloria and father Rolando are both senior citizen, 64 and 62 years old perspectively. 

Although we live separately now we always make sure that we are all present during birthday celebrations and holidays. We always make time to see each other but things are different these days now that we have the pandemic. We can’t see each other as often as we want but we always make sure time to video-call each other out. My three nieces are very active kids as they are in their toddler years. They love to play even indoors.

I speak English and Filipino. I could say that I can communicate in English well. I love to travel before the pandemic hit our country, I have gone to the most incredible places (for me) here. I mostly go to beach as we all know that Philippines is surrounded by water. I also love hiking even though I got to do it only once because of the tight schedule I have. I have gone to the 3rd highest mountain (Mt. Pulag) and the view amazed me. It’s like you are looking in a living painting! But what I really love about travel is that we get to meet different people (local and foreigners) from different walks of life and sometimes we learn from them, oftentimes they ended as your friends.  

My favorite pastime nowadays is watching Korean Drama since we really can’t go outside. I’m really amazed on how the writers of the drama put on a certain topic and build up a story around it. Most of the drama that I finished watching is about family and love. 

My favorite food is “Bicol Express” as they call it since my father was originated from Bicol province but I always love whatever food that my mother cooks. I sometimes cook for myself and my sister since we are living separately from our parents before the pandemic but when I came here in my parents’ house after the pandemic hit, I haven’t had a chance to cook again because my mom always assumes the position of the “Head Chef”. 

I have gained experience with the elderly when I worked as a Registered Nurse in a public hospital. During my time in the hospital, I was assigned to ward, sometimes I was a pull-out for ICU but most of the time I was in the Emergency Room. In between my time off in the hospital, I had to side-job as a caregiver. And as we speak, I am now taking care of my grandfather (88 years old) a Left- sided CVA patient and cannot perform his activities of daily living. I had to feed him, help him on his bath and change his diapers. 

I would also love to know the Canadian way of life, I am very excited to know more about your country and its culture. I always love to take care of the elderly because I believe that it is already embedded in the culture of the Filipinos that we take care of our Grandparents and Parents when they grow old. I took care of my previous patients as if they were my family and they treated me as a family member as well. For me, this is wonderful chance to work with you or to say it more appropriately, to take care of you and make sure that you always get the best quality care that you deserve every day. 

I am very much looking forward to meet you soon!