To celebrate International Women’s Month, we bring you thAsianparent’s Marvelous Asian Mums 2021, featuring inspiring mothers who made a meaningful contribution to improving the lives of moms and other women alike. One of this year’s honorees is Dra. Gellina Maala.
Dra. Gellina Maala or Dr. Gel is a familiar face to those who are part of our theAsianparent Philippines online community. She has been one of our partners in educating other parents about children’s health and wellness.
As a licensed pediatrician and a mom to two kids (going on three!), Dr. Gel has been one of our best resources when it comes to child care, and also one of our favorite mom influencers.
What can you read in this article?
- Who is Dr. Gellina Maala?
- How she balances motherhood and the demands of her profession?
- Her goals as a professional and as a mom influencer
Dra. Gellina Maala
How it all started
Dra. Gellina Maala grew up in a family of doctors. Seeing how the profession focused on helping a lot of people, especially those who are in need, she also decided to pursue medicine at a young age.
But becoming a doctor is not an easy feat. It took a lot of studying and going through residency for Dr. Gel to be where she is today. And she could not be happier that all her hard work has paid off.
The sleepless nights, tiring days, time away from her family, missed milestones of her own children, she says was all worth it in return for a child’s smile and the gratitude that their parents feel when their child gets better.
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Despite the demands of the profession, she says she sees herself still being a pediatrician in the next five years.
“Pediatrics has always been my calling, a privilege given. Every day I work as a pediatrician, I consider it as a gift and opportunity to care for kids especially in their poorest condition. Despite the stress and time away from family, this is a job I would never trade for anything else. A fulfilling job for me, that I hope my children will be proud of in the future.” shares Dr. Gel.
Being a pediatrician is not just a profession to her, but also a calling. One of her passion projects is even related to being a doctor -making videos about health and wellness. By doing that, she can communicate what she knows and what is currently happening in her profession to a larger audience.
Dr. Gellina Maala: the most important job
But as much as she loves being a pediatrician, for her, the most important job is being a mommy.
“Motherhood is a rebirthing process. When my eldest was born, I felt like I was born too. Motherhood taught me how to give unconditional love without expecting anything in return.”
Like being a physician, Dr. Gel also considers motherhood a God-given calling. “It can be exhausting at times, making me scream for that ME time. Nonetheless, I love how motherhood made me have new best friends in my children, how it made me more responsible, forgiving, faithful, and loving.” she shares.
Dra. Gellina says, “I love how motherhood made me have new best friends in my children.”
Being a mom also gave Dr. Gel a newfound appreciation for womanhood. She believes being a woman is having innate confidence and awareness. “It pushes me to stand up for values I believe in. It makes me powerful, beautiful, and resilient despite many challenges life may throw at me,” she adds.
So, like any multitasking mommy, how does Dr. Gel balance all these roles?
She says that she “fills her own cup first,” then prioritizes her tasks to help her work efficiently.
Another insightful piece of advice from our mommy doctor: don’t be afraid to ask for help when it is needed. This is a great reminder for us moms that we are not alone.
Dr. Gel has also learned that it is not a bad thing to say no every so often, so that there is not too much on her plate and it makes time for those things that are important to her.
Dra. Gellina Maala and her family
Like any mother, it is her children that keeps Dr. Gel going. They are her inspiration to do her best in all that she does. She says, “I strive every day to be not just a mom that they can look up to, but a person they can be proud of.”
Inspiration to fellow moms and families
With all her hard work and genuine care for her patients and other children, Dr. Gellina Maala is indeed an inspiration not only to other moms, but to a lot of families as well.
“I think I inspire families to take care of their health by showing them the good long-term benefits this can bring them.” By being a doctor and through her different social media platforms, Dr. Gel encourages parents to become better in their parenting journey. “I provide motivation to these people, give them the courage to try and set a good example to their children.”
Speaking as a fellow parent, Dr. Gel reminds other moms to always lead by example and practice kindness. She believes doing so will help strengthen your relationship with your children and lead to their healthy development.
And for our favorite doctor-mom and #TAPMAM 2021 honoree, we should start the practice of being kind to ourselves first.
Such awesome advice, Dr. Gel! We’re so honored to have you as one of TAP PH’s partners!
To get sound advice from Dr. Gellina Maala and meet other like-minded moms, join our online community on social media.