Macario’s Oil
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MIGHTY FLOWER: How Cannabis Saved the Life of My Son by Dr. Annabelle Manalo Morgan, Ph.D
This is a story of miracles, grit and Annabelle’s determination to save the life of her son, Macario, who as a newborn baby suffered uncontrollable seizures and was confined to the hospital. This was heartbreaking for Annabelle and her husband, Gramps Morgan, a multi-awarded and Grammy-winning reggae artist.
Annabelle, Gramps Morgan and family
Despite the efforts of the neurology team to find the proper medication and regimen for Macario, the doctors had to remove over 38 percent of his brain with little hope of him living a normal life. This challenging situation forced Annabelle to research and find alternative treatment to give her son a chance to survive.
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Annabelle grew up in Saskatchewan, Canada. Her father Arturo Manalo hails from Taal, Batangas. He graduated from the Mapua Institute of Technology and emigrated to Canada as a civil engineer in 1970. There, he met Annabelle's mother, Luzviminda Edades of Gapan, Nueva Ecija, who left the Philippines to first pursue a singing career in Europe and then in 1973 emigrated to Canada. Luzviminda had supported her nine siblings by winning singing competitions in the Philippines.
Annabelle graduated with a 4.0 GPA in high school. She managed to do that while being a 4-sport captain. At 17 she pursued her basketball dream, playing for Dillard University in New Orleans and winning two conference championships. During her senior season, the devastating Hurricane Katrina happened, and she relocated to Eastern Kentucky University. There, she obtained a bachelor’s degree with honors in biology and a minor in chemistry. After turning down offers in both playing and coaching basketball, she knew that she had a mission to reach more people. She concentrated on her charitable work for National Football League organizations.
Annabelle’s Filipino family
She decided to pursue further studies and started graduate work in Neuroscience at Georgetown University. When her dad was diagnosed with cancer, she took a short time off to be with him in Canada. Her father defeated cancer and was completely cured. Her guidance was a significant factor in her father’s healing. She went back to the United States and got her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University in Cell and Development Biology with a focus on Cardio-Oncology. She has stayed in Nashville ever since. Equipped with this Ph.D., she investigated the effects of cannabis.
Cannabis has been a useful tool for the treatment of a multitude of health issues. Cannabidiol or CBD is a major component. It is non-psychoactive and it does not cause a high. The World Health Organization reported that CBD does not show any abuse and dependence potential. According to recent studies, it has a high chance of creating therapeutic effects and treatment for neurological disorders. However, the available cannabis-based treatments and medications failed to impress Annabelle. While she was convinced that cannabidiol could help her son, she was not satisfied with the current options available for Macario.
That’s why she decided to develop her own compound. She had to research and conduct experiments thoroughly. Renting a lab and using her own tools, she created a solution three times more potent and the purest amongst CBDs available in the market. The tests had favorable results. She named her final compound Masaya (“happy” in Tagalog).
The Masaya formula was used to treat Macario, and he showed dramatic improvement within a week. His right eye went back into place, and eventually, he began to move his right hand and crawl. He was able to walk in 14 months. The therapists and doctors monitoring Macario were astounded by his progress. He has exceeded their expectations, and at eight years old, he is a happy, healthy boy full of energy. As of the moment, Masaya oil -- Dr. Annabelle’s legacy is changing people’s lives. The oil is used by patients with conditions like epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s, fibromyalgia, etc. The formula gives people a chance to improve one’s quality of life.
Annabelle and Macario
Inspired by this positive outcome, Annabelle continues her advocacy, leading clinical trials in several countries and sharing her knowledge about CBD. She pledges to keep on educating the world about healthy practices, alternative medicine and natural health consciousness.
Currently, Dr. Annabelle Manalo Morgan is on a U.S. book tour and will soon the launch her book in the Philippines and Europe. MIGHTY FLOWER is available at amazon.com.
Sonia Delen is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America - Global Leasing. In 2018, Sonia became the first Filipino American/Asian American to serve as a non-lawyer, public member of the Board of Trustees of The State Bar of California, as appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. The State Bar is the admissions, regulatory, and disciplinary agency of the Supreme Court of California. Sonia is a community leader in the San Francisco Bay Area, and is the president of The Filipino Food Movement. She lives with her husband Christopher Fitzsimmons in San Francisco; they have 3 children David, Justin and Matthew. In January 2023, Sonia became a recipient of the University of the Philippines' 2nd Gawad Oblation Award, the highest award given by UP to alumni and friends for their outstanding contributions to UP; and was named as one of The Top 50 Women Leaders of San Francisco 2022 by Women We Admire Publications.
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