Ruby Rodriguez on son's intellectual disability: "All I want is for him to be a functioning member of the society."

Veteran comedienne Ruby Rodriguez leaves her career in the Philippines to care for her son in the US. Read all about it here.

What you can read in this article?

• Her reason for leaving the Philippines.
• Ruby Rodriguez’s son’s health condition

Part and parcel of becoming a mom, or a parent for that matter, is sacrifice.  We all had to sacrifice something to give our child a better life – whether it be a small hobby, a job, or life in a place we grew up in.

This is the case for veteran actress and comedienne Ruby Rodriguez, who decided to give up her decades-long career in showbusiness to move to the United States with her whole family.

Around the second quarter of 2021, Pinoy showbiz fans were surprised with the news that Ruby Rodriguez, a veteran comedienne and mainstay host of the noontime show Eat Bulaga, will not be returning with the rest of the Dabarkads. It came as a big shock to the show’s loyal supporters, as Ruby has been in the show for over 30 years.

A lot of speculations came out about Ruby’s absence in the show. But in her previous interviews, Ruby clarified the real reason why her fans won’t see her on TV for now.  She is now based in Los Angeles, California with her family.

Ruby Rodriguez’s reason for leaving the Philippines

In her conversation with fellow actresses Rufa Mae Quinto and LJ Moreno, Ruby explained that her decision to leave the show was not as “drastic” as it seemed.

In an episode of LJ and Rufa Mae’s YouTube channel, The Wander Mamas, Ruby shared that leaving the Philippines and her longtime career in showbiz was a decision she and her husband made in 2019.

“They knew I was leaving na, because my son’s treatment is being done here,” she shared. 

And the main reason for this was for the health of her son, AJ.

Ruby Rodriguez’s son has Henoch Schonlein Purpura or HSP, a rare auto-immune disease that affects his kidneys. And from the interview, Ruby shared that AJ already has stage 2 nephritis as a complication of his HSP.

According to Ruby, most cases of HSP only suffer attacks once in their lives. But in AJ’s case, it has happened several times, which doctors classify as chronic.

“One percent out of a hundred ‘yong chronic, nakasama pa siya,” shared Ruby. “Even the doctors don’t know the trigger. Hindi nila alam what triggers it,” she added. However, she noticed that these attacks usually come after an asthma attack, which is why AJ has to be constantly monitored.

As a US citizen, all of AJ’s treatment is being done in the states. All his medical bills are being covered by insurance, as opposed to the Philippines, where, as Ruby said in another interview, “Covered ng bulsa mo.”

For this reason, and because AJ’s disease was progressing, Ruby and her husband made a decision to stay in the United States for good.

“We decided that we have to sacrifice everything for AJ. We decided to move here na para ‘yong treatment niya regular,” said the celebrity mom.

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To be a better child

Aside from the bills and the frequent checkups, in another interview, Ruby shared that one of the reasons they left the Philippines was to give AJ a better shot at life.

“The main factor is for him to be a better child.”

Aside from AJ’s HSP, Ruby shared that her son has an intellectual disability.

“What this means is that his brain is delayed to his biological age,” she shared.

Because of this, the whole family is helping AJ live a normal and sustainable life. Talking about her son’s intellectual disability, Ruby, like other mom, has a simple dream for him:

“All I want for my son is to be a functioning member of the society,” she said.

What does this mean for AJ?

“I’m not going to force him to take college kung hindi niya kakayanin,” she said. “”Basta kailangan pwede niyang support ‘yong sarili niya kapag wala na ako,” she added.

A parent’s sacrifice

So, despite loving the career that she loved and grew up doing, Ruby decided to leave it all behind for her son’s sake.

“Kapag may asawa’t anak ka na, unang iisipin mo is anong ikabubuti nila. Hindi lang sarili mo,” she said.

Now, Ruby works in the legal department at the Philippine Consulate in Southern California.

What mom would not do the same if she were in Ruby’s condition?