Fernando Poe Sr was a luminary in the cinematic world, yet his existence concluded in distress following a devastating blunder. Share Article Share Article Facebook X LinkedIn Reddit Bluesky Email Copy Link Link copied Bookmark Comments
A cherished performer encountered a sorrowful demise after permitting a diseased canine to touch an unhealed abrasion and then rejecting care for the lethal ailment. Allan Fernando Reyes Poe, widely recognised as Fernando Poe Sr, stood out as a brilliant figure during the height of Philippine filmmaking around the middle of the 20th century.
He excelled not only as a prominent actor and filmmaker within his nation but also as an esteemed soldier, lauded for his contributions during the Second World War.
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Nonetheless, during October of 1951, Poe’s lifetime experienced a frightful shift when he was urgently sent to a medical facility experiencing intense pain in his hip, which he believed stemmed from a playful scuffle involving pillows at a gathering. Despite the application of eight specialists and various medicines, his state exhibited no betterment.
On the subsequent day, Poe stated encountering labored respiration along with rigidity in his muscles, particularly within his neck.
Dr Eliodoro Congco, the proprietor of the clinic and a close associate of the family, inquired of Poe’s spouse, Bessie, about any recent contact with canines. She disclosed that Poe had allowed a pup to lick an injury and subsequently refused rabies treatment, erroneously assuming he would recover without it.
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His health rapidly declined, and he began to develop hydrophobia, a dread of liquids that induces extreme dehydration in those afflicted with rabies.
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On October 23, 1951, the movie community was thrown into desolation when Fernando Poe Sr, merely 35 years old, was declared dead, leaving admirers and peers in disbelief.
His son, Fernando Poe Jr, later shared during conversations that his father had never suspected the pup could transmit illness to him, thinking that letting it lick his sore would make the curative action quicker. This critical misjudgment ultimately demanded his life.
Rabies represents a condition impacting the central nervous mechanism, communicated via the fluid exuded by stricken mammals – predominately canines, bats, raccoons, and additional warm-blooded beings. Typically, its entrance into the physical form occurs through a penetration, gash, or where infected saliva comes into communication with compromised epidermis.
Once the agent gains access to the brain and commences propagation, symptoms become markedly worse. Those enduring it can manifest unease, bewilderment, restlessness, visual and auditory distortions, spasms in the muscles, struggle in ingesting, and the notorious hydrophobia – an acute aversion to hydration instigated by reflexive spasms of the throat.
One of the most startling features of rabies lies within its virtually absolute rate of mortality subsequent to the display of indications, establishing it among the most perilous communicable disorders recognised to humanity.
Poe Sr’s premature passing transpired not long after his completion of labour upon his concluding cinematographic project, Basag na Manika, a moving narrative concerning the alienated offspring of a leper.
In acknowledgment of his decease, the debut showing of the motion picture underwent postponement, denoting his departure as being amongst the most soul-stirring episodes across Philippine cinematic history.
His continuing impact thrives not only by means of his filmmaking efforts but also by his descendants – significantly Fernando Poe Jr, who arose as a symbol of national importance and only narrowly failed to achieve the post of President within the Philippines upon venturing into politics.