Lydia de Vega in critical condition, family asks for help

Asia’s former track queen Lydia de Vega-Mercado, 57, is in another race as she continues her fight with stage 4 breast cancer.

De Vega’s family is asking the public for prayers and donations as the retired track and field star is in critical condition and is worsening.

This was confirmed by her daughter, volleyball player Stephanie “Paneng” Mercado-de Koenigswarter, on Wednesday, July 20, in her social media account.

De Vega was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018. She also had brain surgery. De Vega made her mark in Philippine sports history for being one of the country’s biggest sports stars in the 1980s.

She was considered Asia’s fastest woman in the ‘80s who won 15 gold medals across multiple international competitions like the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, the Asian Games, and the Asian Athletics Championships.

For those who want to help, the De Vega family is accepting donations through BPI account number 3209095644.

Donors and well-wishers may also contact them through cellphone number (0919) 600-5224.