Teen with blood disorder soldiers on with mom’s help

Kylene Joy Sotero

Kylene Joy Sotero looks like any normal 18-year-old at first glance, except for her skin that has a grayish and yellowish tinge.

Sotero’s mother, Rackel Jean Publico, said her daughter was just a year old when she was diagnosed with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, a blood and immune system disorder where the body produces antibodies that destroy red blood cells (RBC).

Every two weeks, the teenager goes to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center for blood transfusion (3 bags of RBC at P5,000 each), 2D echo test, and serum ferritin test to see how much ferritin (a blood protein that contains iron) is stored in her body. The blood transfusion and laboratory tests cost around P25,000 to P30,000.

On top of this, Sotero must be injected with three vials (costing P500 each) of hydrocortisone to avoid allergic reactions before every blood transfusion.

Her daily medications include an injection of three vials of Desferal (P500 per vial) and six tablets of Deferiprone to get rid of the excessive iron in her body—a side effect from the blood transfusions. A bottle of Deferiprone, which contains 100 tablets, costs around P40,000. She also needs to take folic acid to help her body produce healthy RBC.

Without her medications, Sotero could die of an iron overdose, Publico said.

A solo parent to three children after her husband died of a heart attack in November last year, Publico sells snacks for a living.

Those who want to help pay for Sotero’s treatment can forward their donations to Publico’s LandBank account No. 2626087178. Publico can be contacted at 0999-5685889.