Singer KZ Tandingan is one proud daughter to her 56-year-old mom who recently took and passed the nurse licensure examination (NLE).
In a lengthy post on Facebook, KZ looked back on the sacrifices her mom Marites Tandingan, had to make along the way because she prioritized her children over her career.
Her mom got her license as a midwife at 18 years old and became a clinical instructor soon after. She then met KZ’s dad and they got married and had children.
“She attempted to balance being a mom and working, but in the end she made the decision to abandon the career she had fought so hard to achieve in order to concentrate on caring for her children,” KZ said.
When she and her sister were already in high school, her mom decided to pursue nursing. She later found out she was pregnant with her third child and after trying to make it work, she decided to put it on hold to focus on her pregnancy.
“When I finally went to college, my brother had already turned three yrs old, Mum continued her education attending classes on weekends till she received her diploma,” KZ narrated.
“At 43 or 44 yrs old, she tried taking the NLE without a proper review because there was just too much on her plate, and sadly she didn’t pass. She was so heartbroken that she thought maybe she’s too old or that she didn’t have what it took anymore.”
But about 10 years later, Marites decided to try again. For months, she focused on reviewing discreetly.
“Only the family knew abt it because she didn’t want people to be disappointed just in case she didn’t pass it again. She would study so hard that she’d fall asleep while reading her books and sometimes forget to take a break to eat,” she said.
“Today, 18 days after, the results came out, and I’m so proud to share that my mom, 56 yrs old, MARITES LOBRIGAS TANDINGAN is now a REGISTERED NURSE.”
KZ thanked her mom for sacrificing her career to prioritize her children’s well-being.
“Today is a reminder that God sees everything and that He rewards His children in His perfect time. Congratulations Mommy Tess! I’m so proud of you. I love you.”