BENCHWARMER
By Ramon Dacawi
Jennifer Dangla could be your typical Baguio girl. She’s Baguio-born, the second of four children who traces her roots to Pangasinan and Abra, and a college graduate who used to work as a secretary in a lending firm. She also fell in love and is now a solo parent to a 12-year old daughter now in the sixth grade.
At 34, Jennifer is out of a job. She and her daughter depended on her laborer-father for their daily needs until he died last June. Mother and child now share a rented home with Jennifer’s elder brother Archimedes, a merchandiser.with a P3,000 monthly income.
Despite her college degree in commerce, Jennifer can’t work. She’s suffering from kidney failure and congestive heart failure. She’s at a loss on how to sustain her thrice-a-day peritoneal hemodialysis and maintenance medication for heart disease.
Her medical troubles began 10 years ago, when she was confined for three months at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center . Social worker Cherry Balolang wrote in her case study report that Jennifer then suffered her first stroke, rendering half of her body paralyzed.
Same year, she underwent hemodialysis for kidney failure, later shifting to peritoneal dialysis that requires replacement of the dialysis bag every eight hours. That requires P1,000 every day, aside from maintenance medicines for her ailing heart.
Doctors advised her to rest, but, as noted by Balolang, she “is the one who processes her papers in seeking assistance because her siblings are working.”
So she inched her way to city hall last Tuesday morning, her semi-paralyzed hand holding an envelope containing her medical records and an endorsement from the city social welfare and development office validating her serious condition and urgent need of support
Aside from cash to buy the peritoneal dialysis bags, Jennifer needs the following medicines: Amlodipin (10 mg.), aspirin, Losartan (50 mg.), folic acid or ferrosulfate, calcium carbonate and solution for her dialysis.
Samaritans out there can contact this ailing Baguio girl at cell phone number 0919851279. They can visit her at 147 City Camp Proper Barangay. Donors may also course their support through her Bank of the Philippine Islands Account number 0566 4943 84.
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Toddler Kyla Nicole Ganer turned six yesterday and Nanette, her 33-year old mother, wished she could spend her birthday in the hospital as the girl needs to be confined for a fresh round of chemotherapy.
But then, the family is financially unable to pay for the chemo and medicines.
Kyla just had another relapse in her fight against leukemia, her third since the ailment was diagnosed in August two years back.
She has to start a new treatment protocol called St Jude, laid out for about 26 months.
Last week, Samaritans pooled P5,500 that started a fund drive to raise some P40,000 needed for the first month induction phase.
Julie dela Pena of City Camp where Kayla’s family also resides, contributed P2,000.
An anonymous donor matched the amount. And Dr. Jean Gallente added P1,500.
Jen Toliver of La Trinidad, Benguet handed over four vials of Hydrocortizone, syringes and other medical supplies needed in chemotherapy.
The kid’s initial medicine list includes Prednisone tablets, Vincristine vials, Leunase 6000/m2m fiyr vuaks eacg if Methotrexate, Ara C and Hydrocortisone, as per the protocol prepared by Dr. Sabrina Florendo of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.
“Kyla’s doctors said the chemotherapy can begin if we can have P20,000 for the initial medicines needed,” Nanette said.
To facilitate donations, she opened last week bank account number 301-33-000253-6 with Robinson’s Bank, Session Rd. Branch.
Donors may also ring her up at cellphone number 09081016511 or visit the family at 107 City Camp Proper.
Cynthia Langagan, social welfare officer of the city social welfare and development office, said Kyla is the last of four children of Nanette and her husband, Edward, a construction worker assigned in Rizal Province.
Joy Ann, the patient’s eldest sister at 14, is in second year high school. Her brother John Paul, 12, is in first year, while John Carlo, 10, is in grade III.
In another development, a banker who refused to be identified handed P2,000 last week for a one-day oral chemo dose of Cristina Lagasca, a 54-year widow from Pacdal Barangay who is fighting breast cancer.
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