Mike Enriquez's wife Baby recalls his final moments; remembers him as a sweet, generous husband
Lizabeth "Baby" Yumping-Enriquez, the widow of veteran broadcaster Mike Enriquez, recalled the circumstances surrounding his death.
In an interview on GMA Network's Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho episode on Sept. 3, Baby said Mike's final moments saw him filled with lots of holes and tubes in his body as he had pneumonia. Acute respiratory infection affects the lungs, filling them with pus and fluid which makes breathing difficult and limits oxygen intake.
"He's been through a lot," she said.
Mike also had a tracheostomy or the creation of an opening from outside the neck to help with breathing.
Due to the infection from pneumonia, Baby said he had to eventually undergo dialysis, or the treatment in which waste and water from the blood are filtered through a machine.
Though his new kidney from the transplant surgery in 2021 was "doing well," the immunosuppressant or "anti-rejection" medications Mike had to take for the surgery inevitably lowered his immune system.
"Kaya nahirapan ang mga doctors to arrest the infection," Baby said.
On Mike's final day on Aug. 29, he was undergoing dialysis as usual when his blood pressure dropped and his heartbeat suddenly stopped.
"I was on the way to the hospital, siguro mga 1 p.m., and suddenly the caregiver texted me, 'Ma'am, Sir Mike is being resuscitated already,'" Baby said.
Doctors tried to revive him thrice, but Baby already asked them to stop.
"Sige, Mike, I'll be fine. I know God will not forsake me kung pagod ka na," Baby recalled telling Mike after the third revival attempt. "You rest na. I love you."
Sweet, generous husband
Baby remembered Mike as a generous husband, who always "spoiled" her and insisted on shouldering all expenses at home.
The "fierce" persona he had on camera, according to Baby, is "very far from the true Mike Enriquez."
She described him as jolly, talkative, and sweet, never shying away from expressing his feelings for her publicly.
A clip from KMJS showed Mike playfully asking Baby to give him a kiss and when she wasn't very keen, he jokingly offered her P1,000.
"Siya, gustong-gusto niya iyong (public display of affection). Ako ang ayaw, laking madre kasi ako," she said, chuckling.
Mike also adored his dogs Booma and Miki, which were based on his nicknames at work and at home.
Baby said she'd miss their travels the most.
Mike passed away at 71 years old. He was laid to rest on Sept. 3 at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina.
He went on a medical leave in December 2021 and returned to work in March 2022. However, he went back on medical leave again weeks later.
He also had a medical leave in 2018 for his heart bypass surgery.
Considered among the pillars of broadcast journalism, Mike was best known for Imbestigador, an investigative docudrama featuring crime stories and anomalies.
He was also an anchor of the flagship news program 24 Oras.
"Ang nagiging consolation ko na lang ngayon, if I'm still very sad and very hurt and in pain," Baby said, "iniisip ko na lang na at least tapos na ang paghihirap (ni Mike)."