MANILA, Philippines — The past Christmases have not been merry for Kim Casanares and her family after she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in November 2016.
“On Dec. 24, 2016, we were at the emergency room of the Philippine General Hospital. Then the following year, Kim was undergoing chemotherapy. In 2018, she had dengue. Christmas this year looks brighter,”Casanares’ mother, Ruby Lyn, told the Inquirer.
She said that for now, the disease seems to be under control after her daughter, who is 13 years old, completed the eight cycles of chemotherapy recommended by doctors.
The teenager’s last session was in March followed by a bone marrow checkup in May.
Casanares, who was forced to drop out of Grade 5 due to her illness, is thinking of going back to school next year although Ruby Lyn said she was against it.
“She is insisting on enrolling, but I explained to her the possible consequences. I told her to learn from the experiences of her friends in the hospital. They went back to school right away and they placed their lives at risk. In some cases, it turned out to be fatal,”she added.
By the first week of January, Casanares must undergo a routine checkup, in addition to creatinine, 2D-Echo and X-ray tests.
For the laboratory tests, the family must pay P6,500, an amount they were having difficulty raising because the breadwinner, Ruby Lyn’s husband Moises, has a take-home pay of only P27.
“He earns P12,000 a month as a machine operator but he was forced to borrow P200,000 from his employer for our daughter’s medical expenses. He still owes P50,000 to his boss,” said Ruby Lyn who can be contacted at 0922-6338311.
Donors can deposit their donations in her husband’s BPI account (Moises Fernando Casañares with account number 8429-1152-65).