Kyle Adrielle Josh Jasmin
Ten-year-old Kyle Adrielle Josh Jasmin has undergone surgery nine times to remove tumors in the head and stomach.
He was diagnosed in April last year with tuberous sclerosis and low-grade glioma—ailments that cause tumors or growths in the brain and other organs. Both are accompanied by symptoms such as seizures as well as learning and developmental problems.
His mother, Maria Vida, told the Inquirer that her son’s illnesses had also left him blind and hard of hearing while affecting his behavior.
“For his age, he acts like a baby. He cannot control his actions or reactions. Sometimes he laughs a lot and at times, he gets angry,” she said. But most of the time, her son, who is in Grade 4, acts like a normal boy, she added.
According to Maria Vida, she spends around P30,000 for her son’s monthly medication consisting of sirolimus, valproic acid, co-trimoxazole, spirulina, and vitamins.
On top of this, he must also undergo laboratory tests every three months at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City as part of the monitoring ordered by his doctor. The tests include a complete blood count, electroencephalogram or EEG, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI, and two-dimensional echocardiography or 2D echo. The MRI test alone costs around P16,000.
A solo parent to three children, Maria Vida works three days a week as a merchandiser for a grocery store. She earns P537 a day, barely enough for their daily needs.
Wary of exposing her son to COVID-19, Maria Vida has not taken him to the hospital since February for his quarterly checkup. However, she has been watching him closely and reporting on his condition regularly to his doctor who keeps in close touch with them.
“Kyle seems OK for now, but I am always on the lookout in case he has another seizure, because that could result in another operation,” she said.
Those who want to help her son can forward their donations to Maria Vida Jasmin’s LandBank account (#1706957657). She can be contacted at 0921-9418643. INQ