Family of cancer-stricken worker appeals for help

By Ramon Dacawi

BAGUIO CITY -- After over eight sessions of chemotherapy, 24 of radiation and other procedures, Dante Reotutar Aguirre, a 52-year old former contractual worker of the Baguio Water District, is back at the hospital in his close to a year battle against cancer.

Treatment expenses have reached  P200,000, his wife, Josephine (nee Marchan) a teacher at the Baguio Central University, admitted last Thursday morning when she requested that her husband’s plight be published for Samaritans to know and respond.

“The couple has nowhere else to go for help, except perhaps people they never met but will know the difficulties the family is facing and extend their help,” Dr. Jun Marchan, her brother and fellow teacher said.

Dante, who traces his roots to Catanduanes, Vigan in Ilocos Sur and Baguio, wass diagnosed for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a    type of cancer triggered by lymphocytes ro white blood cells, in July last year.

Since then, Josephine said, the family had tried to follow the treatment protocol required for such cases, from chemotherapy to radiation and back to chemotherapy.

What makes the case more challenging, Josephine pointed out, was the fact that despite his having been a contractual employee of the BWD for 15 years, he was never registered as a member of the Philhealth and the Government Service Insurance System.     

Presently, Dante is under mechanical respirator and cardiac monitoring at the St. Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart. He was in no position to sign the authority for this publication, permission for which was given by Josephine.

They have two daughters – Eileen Joane, a clerk at the Baguio City Academy and Kristel Heremiah.

Samaritans can reach the family through Josephine’s number (09291262455) or Eileen Joane’s (09993898943). Support may be coursed through Josephine’s account number at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (8126-0856-45).