June 9, 2026
A new knee gives her a new lease on life
By Joy Rojas
If mothers tend to prioritize their family’s needs before their own, single mothers will likely exert twice the effort, going above and beyond their duty as a parent, even if it means sacrificing their self-care and health.
Such is the case of 63-year-old Pilar Ang Si, who experienced a nagging pain on her knees in 2010, but chose to ignore it to focus on raising her son and daughter.
Eventually, the pain proved too unbearable. In 2013, a rheumatologist diagnosed her with the chronic degenerative joint disease osteoarthritis. “I was told that my left knee is worse than my right one,” she said. “But life has to go on.”
And so, it did. When she wasn’t working as a receptionist and Chinese tutor in Binondo, she was attending to household chores and her children’s needs. Despite her knee pain and other illnesses in recent years (venous insufficiency or damaged veins in her legs, kidney stones, thyroid and gallbladder issues), she volunteered in medical missions with a group of US-based doctors who offered their services to survivors of calamities.
“I just think the Lord gave it to me for a reason,” she said of her osteoarthritis. “It didn’t stop me from being a mother.”
Still, it had reached a point where it was no longer tolerable, and treatment through an acupuncturist and traditional massage therapist gave no relief.
Pilar’s daughter Madeleine was surprised at the extent of her mom’s suffering. “Suddenly it became difficult for her to go up and down the stairs of our home,” said Madeleine, 29. “When she cried going down the stairs, that’s when I decided to bring her to the doctor.” Mother and daughter also moved to a house in Quezon City that didn’t require her to negotiate stairs.
A consultation with a specialist at the Quezon Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) on March 5 confirmed the earlier diagnosis of osteoarthritis. The recommendation: total knee replacement surgery that would set them back by at least P200,000.
It was news Pilar had been avoiding for years. For her, surgery was a last resort; it was also beyond her reach. Supported by Madeleine, a staffer at a bank, she also relied on a modest pension for her daily needs.
But her daughter would not be deterred. Stepping up, she approached different local and national government agencies for financial assistance. The process was tedious and could test anybody’s patience. But she soldiered on, gathering the required paperwork, submitting them to various offices, and waiting for their reply.
“There are a lot of steps,” acknowledged Madeleine, who raised P125,000 for her efforts. “But it’s fast and you can do it.”
Among the charitable institutions she approached was the Tzu Chi Foundation, a name that was familiar to her mother. Pilar had heard of the foundation’s good deeds through two acquaintances: a friend who received rice during the pandemic, and a tricycle driver who claimed medicines for his daughter’s epilepsy. “If it weren’t for Tzu Chi, my daughter would be long gone,” he told her.
When Madeleine brought her mom’s case to Tzu Chi, the foundation did not disappoint. In a medical case conference, the committee granted a one-time Letter of Authorization to medical equipment supplier WesTech Meditrade Inc. for P75,000. It was the remaining amount needed to cover the operation.
On March 24, Pilar underwent a successful knee replacement surgery at QMMC. Two days later, she was able to walk, and on March 31, she was discharged. Surgery for her right knee is scheduled for June 24, using additional funds sourced from government agencies.
Now recuperating at home and attending physical therapy sessions, she gets around on a borrowed wheelchair and walker, and can go places without a companion. Coincidentally, it was during her trips via ride-hailing apps that she met a number of drivers who remain productive after having their hips or knees replaced. “It boosts my morale,” she said of the encounters.
The single mother who accomplished so much even if she was hobbled by osteoarthritis believes she can do more with her new knee—including the possibility of volunteering with Tzu Chi.
“I know I can still be used by the Lord. There’s a lot, a lot, a lot that I can do,” she said. “If my legs are strong enough, I can still do volunteer work. I'm still young, I can still move, and I can still enjoy life.”
Madeleine and Pilar Si (third and fourth from left) welcome Tzu Chi representatives (from left) Julie Collado, Violeta Chua, Amy Chan, and Liane Margallo into their new home in Quezon City.
After years of tolerating the pain of osteoarthritis, Pilar Ang Si underwent a successful knee replacement surgery at Quezon Memorial Medical Center on March 24. She is currently undergoing physical therapy but manages to get around even without a companion.
A Tzu Chi volunteer gives medical assistance beneficiary Pilar Ang Si a lighted image of Tzu Chi’s Jing Si Abode, a souvenir from the foundation’s 30th anniversary in the Philippines.
Pilar Ang Si receives a coin bank during a home visit from Tzu Chi volunteers. Through donations big and small placed in these cans, medical assistance beneficiaries like Pilar have the resources for timely treatment.