Kid needs support to survive kidney ailment

By Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- Often, it takes more than a village to save an ailing child.
Billy Benito, a 43-year old Ibaloy farmer raising vegetables at Bengao, Bakakeng here in Baguio realized this in July last year. That was when his youngest child, Chelsea, now 10, was diagnosed for serious kidney ailment.

Doctors then advised Billy and his wife Cecilia (nee Abance) to bring the kid for further tests at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Quezon City.

The couple was working hard to raise the amount needed for the transfer when Chelsea’s condition suddenly deteriorated. Her blood pressure shot up and her vision blurred, “to the point that she could no longer recognize us, her family,” Billy recalled.

Since then, Chelsea has been on hemodialysis treatment at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center. At P2,200 per blood-cleansing session, the financial impact was, is and will be too much for the family to bear.

Nowadays, Billy finds himself mostly on the road. Instead of coaxing his crucifers and beans to grow, he is knocking on doors or responding to text messages from Samaritans who want to meet him so they can contribute to saving Chelsea.

At 10, Chelsea has gained the uncomfortable distinction of being the youngest patient undergoing dialysis treatment at the BGHMC. The facility serves about 170 kidney patients from all over needing the regular four-hour-per-session treatment to survive.

She has come this far because neighbors and parishioners at the Divine Mercy Church at Atab where the Benito family attends Sunday services were the first on the rescue. With them are members of the K nights of Columbus, Council 15580 led by Assistant Labor Secretary Teddy Delson, and parish priest, Fr. Joel Calatan.

Samaritans provided the substance of this month of hearts by sharing what they have to a family whose second youngest member is beset by a medical condition that needs full attention for her to survive.

Cybill
Chel, the eldest child at 18, had dropped out of school to be of immediate help in tending to the farm lot. So did Bill Cyrus, 17. Chelbys, the youngest, is a year and two months old. Chelsea herself should be in the fourth grade today.

A day before Valentine’s Day, an office secretary contacted Billy through text message, asking him to drop by. He did and she handed P15,000, saying it came from her boss who requested anonymity, as he did in previous donations to other seriously ill patients.

Also last Feb. 13, somebody texted to meet Billy in front of the Baguio Cathedral where the Samaritan, after identifying himself as “Luis” from Bontoc, contributed P3,000.

At the Bakakeng loading area for jeepneys, Martha Cados Bayo and Joshua Cados Balabag handed Billy P5,000. So did Fr. Calatan after mass last Sunday.

Representatives of the Baguio-Benguet Community Credit Cooperative saw Chelsea at her hospital bed last Feb., to contribute P4,400. Earlier, BasanBeligen and one calling himself Fruits delivered P3,00, the same amount raised from mass collection at the Divine Mercy last Feb. 10.

From sibling Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano were two certificates of endorsement of P2,000 each which Chelsea can use as payment for her dialysis. City councilor Richard Carino last Thursday also advised the hospital to charge from his medical assistance fund P2,200, the cost of one dialysis.

Other recent donors were Puring of Bengao – P500; Bayan Muna – P1,000; and the BGHMC admission – P800.

As it is, Chelsea’s donated funds are fast depleting. It takes more than her family and village to survive.

You can ring up her parents’ cell phone numbers – 09494732522 (Billy) and 09465506545 (Cecilia). Or visit Chelsea at Isolation Room C of the BGHMC where doctors as set to create a fistula, the connection of a vein to an artery in her arm to allow easier needle insertion needed for dialysis.