An Interview With Nanny Angel Marivic Lumabi

The Nanny Angel Network, funded by Rethink Breast Cancer, is a group of women comprised of professional care providers and board members who generously volunteer their time to provide quality, compassionate childcare, at no cost, to mothers diagnosed with breast cancer, in treatment or in the early stages of recovery. We spoke with Marivic Lumabi, one of the first Nanny Angels, about her experience with the program!

The Nanny Angel team at a staff retreat.

Rethink: How did you get involved with the Nanny Angel Network?

Marivic: Audrey Guth, Director of the Nanny Angel Network and Diamond Personnel, spoke about her breast cancer diagnosis during our annual summer barbeque last year. She explained how having a nanny greatly helped ease her stress while going through treatment. Knowing her children were in good hands, she could concentrate on getting better. Audrey wanted to help other mothers going through breast cancer with no access to nannies but she knew she couldn’t do it without the help of her staff. I signed up right away! I was called for an interview and attended the training and workshops, including a CPR certification course. I was in the first group of volunteers to take part!

Rethink: Why are you passionate about this cause?

Marivic: My father died of cancer. He was so helpless and was bed ridden in a coma before he died. Where I come from in the Philippines, when you are diagnosed with cancer, it is a death sentence. Even if you recover for a little while, the cancer eventually wins. Coming to North America changed my view of cancer. I now see many people receiving support and living full lives. So when I saw the opportunity to help through the Nanny Angel Network, I decided to dedicate my free time to support those families in need.

Rethink: What kind of activities do you plan for when you volunteer your time with families?

Marivic: It all depends on the season. During the winter we can stay indoors and play games or build snowmen outside. In the summer, I like to bring the children to parks and local attractions.

During my first meeting with a family, I like to ask the parents about their children and the activities they like to do so that I can tailor our visits to the family’s liking. At the Nanny Angel Network, we have a “Mary Poppins” bag filled with arts, books, crayons and other tools that I bring whenever I visit. One of the little girls I met loves princesses. So I pretended to be a princess in her dreams. When she asked me why I was with her that day, I said I heard her calling me in her dream so I came to play with her. She was too young to express herself verbally, but I saw how happy she was by the gleam in her eyes.

Rethink: What is your favourite part of volunteering with the nanny angel network?

Marivic: There are so many reasons why I love volunteering my time. Meeting the different families, creating new and fun experiences for the children and volunteering without being compensated make it all worthwhile. But by far my favourite part is when I hear the mother say “Oh, I so enjoyed the time you gave me!” Then I know how much I’ve helped and it makes me happy.

Rethink: What kind of message would you like to share with people who are interested in volunteering their time to the nanny network?

Marivic: Be a Nanny Angel! It’s easy! Devote your free time to help others and you will be rewarded more happiness than money could ever bring.  

To contact the Nanny Angel Network: