October 8, 2026
This caregiver’s first patient was her mother
By Joy Rojas
Since completing their caregiving course under Tzu Chi Foundation’s Technical-Vocational Program, many scholars have gone on to find stable jobs providing professional and compassionate assistance to the elderly, sick, and disabled.
That was certainly Esmeralda “Mera” Daganasol’s plan when she finished the program in April 2025, then volunteered at rehabilitation center that taught developmental training to minor Persons with Disability a month later. Born into poverty, she was prepared to use her newly acquired knowledge and skills to help get her family out of a life fraught with misery, sacrifice, and disappointment.
Instead, she would apply what she learned on the one person she never expected to look after so soon: her mother, Herminia “Hermie” Daganasol.
In hindsight, the circumstances seemed to prepare her for it. The eldest of four, she was forced to grow up fast to support her siblings and her solo parent, a sickly woman who, try as she may, could only do so much.
“There were days when she would go to the wet market, not to buy food, but to pick up whatever was left behind. Vegetable scraps, discarded food, anything that we could still eat,” said Mera. At 12 she became a working student, earning what she could to cover her family’s daily needs.
But Mera’s efforts to finish high school didn’t pan out, as she had been following the old curriculum, not the updated K-12 program. Told that she needed to take bridging subjects to graduate, she was just about ready to give up.
“Have you ever worked so hard for something, only to watch it disappear right in front of you?” she said of the blunder. “For the first time in my life, I didn’t know what to do next. More than anything else, I was tired of trying.”
Through a scholarship in caregiving from Tzu Chi, she received valuable hands-on training that would serve her well when she found a job. Yet whatever she gained from her classes would ultimately serve a greater purpose.
In June 2025, Mera handled her first-ever “patient” when her mother Hermie was rushed to the hospital.
Caregivers are trained to perform six stations—specific skills that, once mastered, signify one’s readiness to take care of someone else’s life.
She executed each one diligently and with heart. In Station 1 (Personal Care), she bathed her mother, dressed her, and changed her diapers. “At first, she was shy. But I wasn’t. She’s my mother,” she said.
In Station 2 (Bed Making), she earned the admiration of other patients with her methodical approach to keeping her mom’s beddings clean, taut, and wrinkle-free.
In Station 3 (Vital Signs), she used her own medical instruments to monitor her mother’s blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation in a public hospital that was short on staff.
Through Station 4 (Feeding), she watched her mother slowly improve, to the point that she could assist her for Station 5 (Mobility).
Hermie, who was not used to such meticulous care, insisted it was her job to look after her daughter. Mera wouldn’t have it any other way. “Ma, you taught me how to walk, talk, and live. You took care of me when I was sick. And you never once complained,” she said. “This is my turn. It’s only a matter of time. You’ll get better soon.”
It was not to be. In the early morning of July 5, 2025, after returning one of many missed calls from her sister, Mera rushed back to the hospital, where her mother was suffering a debilitating headache and did not want to wake up.
Mera managed to rouse her mother and asked her to squeeze her hand. “I love you,” she said. “You’re going to get better.”
While undergoing an MRI, Hermie stopped breathing, prompting the healthcare team to perform CPR. “Do everything,” urged Mera as the sound of monitors filled the room.
The team did, until there was nothing else left to do. That’s when Mera stepped in to perform Station 6. She removed her mother’s IV and tubes and kicked the beeping monitor before unplugging it. Later, she would close her mother’s eyes, change her into her favorite clothes, and cover her before she was taken away.
Hermie may be her first and last patient, but Mera still applies the compassion and kindness that she developed as a caregiver to a different platform. As a career advocate of Tzu Chi’s Technical-Vocational Department, she draws upon personal experience to inspire, guide, and offer hope to anyone who may be feeling lost or discouraged with their current situation.
“When we were at our lowest and life was incredibly hard, Tzu Chi gave me the opportunity to become a scholar and complete a caregiving course,” explains Mera of her decision to join Tzu Chi. “My own experiences as a caregiving student and a caregiver made me realize the importance of providing students with proper guidance and support.”
At the hospital: Mera Daganasol (left) with her mother, Hermie
A scholarship in caregiving from Tzu Chi Foundation gave Mera Daganasol (first from right) with the knowledge and skills to help support the elderly and ill with their daily needs.
Tzu Chi’s caregiving course teaches scholars essential skills, including the correct way to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
As a career advocate of Tzu Chi’s Technical-Vocational Department, Mera Daganasol uses her personal experience to inspire, guide, and offer hope to anyone struggling to get back on their feet.