Mother of 12-year-old leukemia patient appeals for help

Rose Ann Grueso

Twelve-year-old Rose Ann Grueso was diagnosed in 2016 with chronic myelogenous leukemia, a type of blood disease that usually occurs in adults.

A type of cancer in which the bone marrow makes abnormal myeloblasts, red blood cells or platelets, it is a slowly progressing disease that manifests itself in middle-aged people, rarely afflicting children.

“The body of my daughter produces an abnormally high number of platelets. While it is normal to have only 350 platelets, her body makes 4,900,” Rose Ann’s mother, Marivic, told the Inquirer.

According to Marivic, Rose Ann’s condition has left her body swollen and numb, making it difficult for her to walk.

The sixth of seven children, Rose Ann requires lifetime medication, she said.

Doctors at Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City have prescribed anagrelite to lower and possibly stop her body’s excessive production of platelets.

“It costs P350 a tablet and it should be taken twice a day. Rose Ann is currently undergoing oral chemotherapy by taking Imatinib (Glivec) six times a day at P1,283 each. I am appealing to your kindhearted readers for assistance and support because her treatment is very expensive,” Marivic said.

For now, she and Rose Ann are staying at a charitable institution in Paco, Manila, while her husband who works as a shoe repairman remains in Sorsogon City to look after their three younger children. The rest already have families of their own to look after.

Marivic Grueso can be reached at 0920-7603028. Donations can be deposited in her Landbank account (# 0596-1745-74).