How one mom’s fight for her son led to the publication of a groundbreaking book
The University Hotel, in cooperation with the University of the Philippines Press, hosted a book talk and signing event featuring Dr. Annabelle Manalo-Morgan, a renowned neuroscientist and cell and developmental biologist, last June 7 at The Glass House of the University Hotel.
Dr. Manalo-Morgan discussed her book, Mighty Flower: How It Saved My Son (2023), which chronicles her journey in using cannabidiol therapy to help her son Macario.
At barely one month old, Macario needed to have 38 percent of his brain removed because of daily, constant, severe seizures from the time he was born for which doctors could find no cure or solution. Aware that a gravely compromised quality of life awaited her son, Dr. Annabelle held on to what she knew as a neuroscientist, that the brain has the unique and uncanny ability to adapt and rewire, and persevered to find a means for her son to recover some quality of life despite the resection. Her research led her to cannabidiol (CBD), the purest and most consistent form of which she found to have significant restorative effects on her son’s development.
Today, Macario is as happy, healthy, and active as any other six-year-old and Dr. Annabelle has made it her personal mission to advocate for further cannabidiol research: “We need to create more stories like Macario’s,” she insists.
“My book has brought hope and courage to many readers, but most of all it has opened many eyes in regard to alternative methods of medicine,” says Dr. Annabelle. In the Philippines where the climate and soil are highly conducive for production, access to adequate health services can be challenging, and the House of Representatives just passed on second reading a bill for the legalization of this alternative medicine. Mighty Flower provides a compelling case to develop more research in cannabinoid medicine.
“It’s important to me to share this story with the country in which both of my parents were born and, specifically, with the University of the Philippines in which we plan to start groundbreaking cannabinoid research,” Dr. Annabelle further shares. UP is currently exploring a research collaboration with Enexa Labs, a preclinical accelerator founded by Dr. Annabelle that focuses on normalizing the research and design of plant compound medicines. Enexa was birthed by the science behind Masaya, the CBD product that Dr. Annabelle created for her son.
University Hotel General Manager Patrick C. Gregorio adds, “We’re proud to host Dr. Annabelle here. The Glass House, which also contains the UH bookshop, is the perfect venue for all academic activities of the UP community, from self-study sessions to open forums on life-saving plants. Everyone is always welcome here.”
Dr. Manalo-Morgan is the Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Enexa Labs, which bridges plant compounds with traditional medicine. Enexa originated from the Parallel Pace process behind Masaya, a CBD product she created for her son.
She earned her bachelor’s in Biology from Eastern Kentucky University and a Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology from Vanderbilt University. She is a Forbes author and works globally on clinical trials.
