Gabby Concepcion  joined  Jam Morales’  World Tour

By Marilie Bomediano
Photos: Jam Morales
NSW-Australia
September 3, 2015



They have done several shows in the past. Gabby and Jam have known each other for a very long tie. In fact, Gabby has been a family friends ever since.

 “I  cannot wait to visit everyone in Europe and Australia and do a concert.  I was  really excited to make them all happy, heart throb Gabby Concepcion said.

“Panahon na para magsaya  and let’s all have a good time! Looking forward to meeting all of you mga kababayans, and let’s have fun Jam excitedly said to all her fans around the globe.

Jam has had a series of shows prior to the European tour. She was in Auckland, New Zealand and Sydney Australia.

“During the Philippine Independence in New York, I got to see my friends like Cesar Montano, JC Bonin, especially Cherrie Gil who is a good friend of mine. It was so nice to see Nonoy Zuñiga, Gabby Valenciano  (Gary Valenciano’s son), Jam said.

 “I was also reunited with other fellow artists: Rex Navarette, Florante, Sylvia la Torre and many more artists who flew in for the special occasion

“I am actually preparing my comeback album with a song called “Ikaw at Ako”, which will start this mid September and hopefully wil get it done by  the beginning of the year of  2016 or at least six months.

“It is a tagalog song  which is actually written by a good friend of mine Mr. Angel Gamez, a very good friend of my teen years and is the son of my doctor who handled my rare health case, Jam revealed.

It started in early 1986 until I gave birth to my first child. It causes a characteristic purpuric rash and an increased tendency to bleed. Two distinct clinical syndromes manifest as an acute condition in children and a chronic condition in adults. The acute form often follows an infection and has a spontaneous resolution within 2 months. Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura persists longer than 6 months with a specific cause being unknown.

ITP is an autoimmune condition with antibodies detectable against several platelet surface antigens. ².

ITP is diagnosed by a low platelet count in a complete blood count (a common blood test). However, since the diagnosis depends on the exclusion of other causes of a low platelet count, additional investigations (such as a bone marrow biopsy) may be necessary in some cases. ²

ITP also known as primary immune thrombocytopenia, primary immune thrombocytopenic purpura or autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura, is defined as isolated low platelet count (thrombocytopenia) with normal bone marrow and the absence of other causes of thrombocytopenia²

“I was bruising, at first we actually feared that it was leukemia, Jam recalls.

 “Just the thought of that bone marrow biopsy without anesthesia hurts, two days in suspense then the doctor says I had Purpura Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), Jam said.

“my platelets were dropping 20,000 very low counts while the minimum a human should have is 150,000 counts or more, so I could haemorrhage. So they gave me blood transfusion and platelets transfusion, then they started giving me steroids and all kinds of different medications.

In mild cases, only careful observation may be required but very low counts or significant bleeding may prompt treatment with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, anti-D immunoglobulin, or immunosuppressive drugs. Refractory ITP (not responsive to conventional treatment) may require splenectomy, the surgical removal of the spleen. Platelet transfusions may be used in severe bleeding together with a very low count. Sometimes the body may compensate by making abnormally large platelets²

It happened fo a year and a half, then I became pregnant with my oldest child, of which the doctors said I could as long as I have my medications. Suddenly, I just completely stopped it, and  said :

“Lord, I leave my life in your hands, should it be that I die, if it’s my time, it’s my time, then I stopped my medication then I was fine, I didn’t need the medication anymore but every now and then when I was super stressed , I had to constantly check and monitor my platelets.

“it was stress related because I was doing a lot of travelling and just super stressed but pretty much I’m okay.  It healed itself. I haven’t gone to the doctors and I should

I was bedridden for a while, I thought I was going to die and it was then that  I asked my pastor to come to my side and I have accepted the Lord and  asked to give me another chance to live.So from that time on, I have dedicated my life to serving him.

MThere are a lot of things to be thankful for. My oldest Serrina graduated college with a degree in Cinematic Arts and my twins girls Christa and Catrina graduated college in December, Christa graduated with a degree in Health Education and Catrina with a degree in Liberal Arts majoring in International Studies.

Since then, I have been blessed with a lot of singing opportunities. I do charity shows and fund raising events 

I sing for organisations trying to build homes in the Philippines for the less fortunate, I sing for doctors and nurses who send medical supplies for kidney, dialysis for those in need. These organizations work with World Vision to send money and sending supplies, so I feel that I have a purpose apart from singing, Jam recalls.

 Jam  popularized the ‘80s OPM hits “Even If” and “A Smile In Your Heart” and  Please be Careful with my Heart” She  is  Sampaguita, Asia’s Queen of Rock’s niece and protégé.

Jam’s big break was winning the Metropop song competition, a kind of American Idol and X-Factor cross, a big national competition where she sang “A Smile in Your Heart”, that’s how it kicked off .

Starting her singing career in 1983, she became one of the country’s top recording artists and concert performers. Many of us remember her as the popular co-host of the top-rating GMA Supershow and Patok na Patok with Ariel Ureta.

Her batch, called batch ’83 is Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano, Joey Albert, Zsa-zsa Padilla and Jennifer Ramos were warm and down to earth personalities.