The 29-year-old mentally ill woman was caged by her relatives in the Philippines for FIVE YEARS after her family said she could not cope with her care
- Bebe, 29, was diagnosed with psychotic depression in the Philippines in 2014
- She suffered from hallucinations and was hospitalized in Negros Occidental
- After she returned home, her condition worsened because her family could not afford her medication, and she began to whip and run away
- The family built a cage for a family friend who asks for money to protect until she can be treated
A young woman has been locked in a cage by her family for the past five years. She says she cannot afford adequate treatment for her mental condition.
Bebe, 29, lived in the Philippines with her family and worked in a local business while she dreamed of becoming a professional model before she was diagnosed with psychotic depression in 2014.
The condition meant she was hallucinating and was admitted to a psychiatric unit in a hospital in Negros Occidental Province.
Bebe gradually improved after a year of treatment, and doctors were optimistic about her condition.
She was allowed to return home, but things got worse when her father fell ill in 2015 and the family could no longer afford Bebe’s medical bills.
A young woman has been locked in a cage by her family for the past five years. She says she cannot afford adequate treatment for her mental condition. Bebe, 29, lived in the Philippines with her family and worked in a local business while she dreamed of becoming a professional model before she was diagnosed with psychotic depression in 2014
Without medication, her depressive episodes and hallucinations returned.
A friend of the family, Glyzel Bullos, said there were times when Bebe became so violent that her family was forced to lock her up for their own safety.
“Sometimes Bebe threw things at neighbors or went outside and took the bus,” recalled Glyzel, who asks for help for Bebe.
“There was one time that her family looked for her and found her in Cebu Province a week later when the police contacted her,” she said.
To prevent Bebe from migrating, her family built a small cage for her in the house.
Bebe is pictured on the beach in happier times before her diagnosis in 2014 (center, posing in a pink hoodie)
Before Bebe got sick she was working in a local shop and friends said she dreams of becoming a model
Clad in rags, Bebe is provided with food through the bars of her cell.
“She chews her dress until it’s torn and sacks it because she doesn’t like to eat it,” Glyzel explained.
“They lock her up so she won’t hurt herself and not because they don’t love her.”
The video shows Bebe leaning against a wall in her cage before driving off after noticing the camera. She stands in a corner of her cell with her back to the camera.
Later in the video, the young woman appears to be playing around the cell door and speaking softly to the person filming her.
Glyzel asks for donations to send Bebe back to the hospital for treatment.
“Medical services are expensive, especially a private mental health facility,” she said.
“I hope there are people out there who could help us bring Bebe back to her former selves.”
The family dresses Bebe in rags because she reportedly rips her clothes when she suffers from an episode
