HENDERSON, Nev. (KTNV) — Content creator and Henderson resident Chris Punsalan is giving his followers a look into his life as a caregiver for his grandmother, Anicia Manipon, after rheumatoid arthritis changed her life.
"One day all of a sudden, my grandmother wakes up and is no longer able to get out of bed. She can't move her hands. She can't move her legs," Punsalan said. "And at this time, I only had a semester left of college. I didn't have any opportunities lined up, so I was like, I'll take on the responsibility."
That was nearly a decade ago.
The videos came a little later, though Punsalan said it made sense since he was already sharing other aspects of his life online.
"I've been obsessed with documenting because my dad had a camcorder glued to his hand for my entire childhood," Punsalan said.
Over the years, he's shared daily routines of his grandmother, capturing some of what goes into being a full-time caregiver.
Some of the moments are fun, like when the two joke with one another or sing.
Others are a little more challenging, like the time he sets Manipon's eyeglasses down a little too hard, prompting a stern chat while he buries his face in a pillow, a feeling many can relate to.
After asking if there was ever a moment when he wanted someone else to take over, he said, "There was never a moment of that, of saying I want to throw the towel in and have somebody else do it, but there were a lot of moments of doubt and frustration and anger of why is this happening to me, and at the time it felt like I was the only one taking care of a loved one."
He realized that wasn't the case.
According to the Alzheimer's Association, roughly 84,000 caregivers in Nevada provide help for someone with a form of dementia.
Eventually, his perspective changed.
"I started to realize what a blessing it was and how much I've learned throughout this journey and how much I was able to inspire the world through my grandmother's story," Punsalan said.
He also learned more about his grandmother, who emigrated from the Philippines to the U.S.
"My grandmother is funnier than I ever imagined," he said.
Then, one day in November of 2023, everything changed.
Manipon, 97 at the time, had a cough that turned into a diagnosis of COVID-19 and RSV.
"She was in the hospital for four days and on the third day, she was scheduled to go home. And then I got the phone call that my grandmother unfortunately passed away," Punsalan said.
More than eight years of spending all that time together had come to an end.
Grief and gratitude come in waves.
"In the sadness, I see the love," he said. "Without the love, there would be no sadness."
He also said he's dealt with anticipatory grief, something he learned from another caregiver.
"It's grieving your loved one throughout the years of you taking care of them," he said. "As time progressed and the more that I saw her decline, I would grieve past versions of my grandmother, so then when it ultimately happened, I was surprised and shocked that I wasn't as sad as I expected myself to be, but it's because I've been grieving my grandmother since I started taking care of her."
He says he's still sad but also relieved for his grandmother, knowing she's no longer in pain.
He also has the videos to remind him of her love.
"Every meal, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks in between, showers, everything. I don't think I would have done any of that if I wasn't her full-time caregiver, so what a blessing and what a gift it was to be able to have those memories and spend that time I did with my grandmother," Punsalan said.
Punsalan said he plans to continue documenting his life, feeling a new sense of responsibility for the platform he's been given.
He said he wants to turn his attention to health and wellness, something he believes could have at least delayed his grandmother's arthritis.
"I feel a calling to help people become independent and strong and healthy until the end," he said.
