Mom dreams of seeing quadriplegic son walk on his own

MANILA, Philippines — To see her son manage to sit on his own would be enough for Josephine Cartativo. But to have him stand or walk by himself would be a “big bonus,” she told the Inquirer.

Hans Mc Querby, Cartativo’s 14-year-old son, was diagnosed at 5 months old with spastic quadriplegia, a form of cerebral palsy which, according to Cerebral Palsy Guidance, causes “loss of the use of the whole body.” This was after he suddenly had seizure while undergoing emergency surgery for hernia.

Hans also suffers from global delay development disorder, which makes him lag behind other children his age in terms of language, thinking, social or motor skills milestones. As a result, he cannot talk but responds to people by making a humming sound. He also has difficulty chewing and swallowing his food.

To reduce the stiffness of his muscles, Hans is injected with four vials of clostridium botulinum toxin A (commonly known by its brand name, Botox) every three to four months at Philippine Children’s Medical Center. This costs P70,000 to P90,000 per session, Cartativo said.

Hans also needs to take his maintenance medicines: four to five tablets of Baclofen every day to treat muscle pain, spasm and stiffness; Clonazepam to prevent and control seizures, once a day; and valproic acid to treat epilepsy, twice a day. Cartativo said she and her husband need around P10,000 a month for their son’s medications.

As a liaison officer in a system integration company, her husband earns only P8,000 a month while Cartativo is a full-time mom to Hans and their other child aged 6 years old. Those who want to help the couple pay for Hans’ treatment and medications can deposit to Cartativo’s BPI account (#9759140203). She can be reached at 0916-7443358 or 0915-1069362.