Life has never been the same since the bullet on bus, says Manila victim
Maimed survivor still relives the terror of being shot, and is about to join in legal action for redress from the Philippine government
Yik Siu-ling has never told her young son what happened to her three years ago, or why she was going in and out of the hospital so often.
But as he turned five and became more aware of the news, it was him - in simple words of comfort to his mother, survivor of a shooting trauma - who brought up the subject.
As I was admitted to hospital again last week, he said to others in the family: 'Mum went on a tour and was bullied by bad guys, so she's in hospital now
"He's the one who keeps me going," said Yik, 36, whose lower jaw, left thumb and right index finger were shattered by a bullet in the 2010 Manila hostage-taking crisis.
Since the tour-bus tragedy, Yik has undergone dozens of operations to rebuild her jaw.
But hope gradually turned into disappointment as she realised the chance of getting new teeth implanted was becoming slimmer.
"I didn't know how to tell my son about my plight," she said. "But as I was admitted to hospital again last week, he said to others in the family: 'Mum went on a tour and was bullied by bad guys, so she's in hospital now'."
She was taken aback, but realised his remark could have been spurred by news coverage of the incident's third anniversary.