New member Racquel Goco gave her “Classification Speech” on July 28, 2026 to let Ladner Rotary members know more about her life’s journey. Retired from her occupation as an educational therapist for dyslexic children, Racquel is the wife of former Ladner Rotarian Alfredo Goco, who passed away in the past year. She described growing up in a family connected to the jewellery business, marrying Alfredo at age 17, completing her education, and raising five children.
Racquel shared updates on her adult children’s careers and family life, including her grandchildren and a meaningful full-circle connection to paediatric oncology through her daughter Katrina and her grandson’s recovery from leukaemia.
A major turning point in the family’s life came when their youngest son Anton was born with a heart condition that required open-heart surgery in the Philippines. Because the climate and pollution made his recovery difficult there, the family moved to Vancouver, where Anton’s health improved. The move was emotionally difficult for Racquel, especially while caring for five children and adjusting to a new country.
Racquel also recounts a traumatic kidnapping of Alfredo in the Philippines, which, despite her desire to return home to live, in the end reinforced her sense that Canada had become the family’s place of safety. She described that, at the time of the kidnapping, taking great personal risk to cross open water at night in a small boat to seek help, despite not knowing how to swim. This experience became both a family story about courage, love, and determination.
Another defining experience was the death of Miguel, the son of her lifelong friend Anna and best friend of her son Marco. Miguel struggled with a learning disability unrecognized in the Philippines – what turned out to be dyslexia -- and died by suicide after facing academic pressure and shame.
This loss motivated Racquel to train as an educational therapist so she could support children with dyslexia and learning challenges. For nearly 15 years, she worked with dyslexic students, mainly in the South Delta community, helping them learn to read and rebuild their confidence. She describes this work as deeply fulfilling, especially when students began to believe in themselves again.
She eventually stopped teaching when Alfredo was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, requiring a double lung transplant, since working with children increased the risk of infection.
