FORMER Asian sprint queen Lydia de Vega, who is battling stage 4 breast cancer, is in dire need of prayers and financial help, according to his son-in-law David Abesamis de Koenigswarter.
“My dearest mother-in-law, Lydia de Vega, is in very critical condition due to complications caused by her Stage 4 Breast Cancer condition. She was diagnosed with this in 2018 and has been silently fighting the disease for the past 4 years,” De Koenigswater posted in his Facebook account yesterday.
“As the disease is progressing, her condition is quickly worsening despite undergoing many procedures including brain surgery,” added the husband of Stephanie Mercado-de Koenigswarter, the only daughter of de Vega.
The Philippine Sports Commission, according to officer-in-charge Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr., has been coordinating with Stephanie since last Monday.
Iroy said they have been instructed by President Marcos to extend the necessary assistance to De Vega.
“I am requesting everyone to please pray for her (De Vega) in this desperate time of need.
If anyone would like to assist financially to cover her medical expenses, any donation would be deeply and whole-heartedly appreciated. Maraming salamat po!” Koenigswarter added.
Born in Meycauayan, Bulacan, De Vega, 57, starred as Asia’s celebrated sprinter in in the early eighties to the early nineties. She made her international debut by sweeping the 200 and 400-meter runs in the 1981 Manila Southeast Asian Games.
With her controversial father-coach Francisco “Tatang” de Vega always hovering in the background, “Diay” reached her stride by completing a golden double in the 100 and 200-meter events of the 1983 Kuwait and 1987 Singapore editions of the Asian championships.
