Blood disorder takes toll on teenager’s body

Mark Christian Timbol

MANILA, Philippines — Seventeen years of repeated blood transfusions have taken a toll on the body of 18-year-old Mark Christian Timbol, requiring him to undergo surgery to remove his enlarged spleen.

He had his first blood transfusion in September 2003 after being diagnosed with anemia but other symptoms, including easy bruising, led the doctor to conclude he had the blood disorder called beta thalassemia major, said his mother, Vilma.

Timbol underwent a splenectomy on Feb. 15 to avoid the buildup of too much iron in his body and reduce the amount of blood he needs every transfusion. The operation cost P70,000.

According to Vilma, the doctor at Philippine Children’s Medical Center in Quezon City said that, for now, her son would not be needing additional blood since his hemoglobin count was normal. But should there be complications, such as fever, he would again need transfusions.

For the monitoring of his condition, Timbol undergoes a blood count test every two weeks, a serum ferritin test every three months and a 2D Echo every six months.

He also needs to continue taking his maintenance medication composed of deferiprone (four tablets three times daily) and Desferal (fours vials daily) to remove the extra iron in his body, in addition to sumapen (twice daily), folic acid and ascorbic acid (both once a day).

Vilma said they need P127,500 a month for her son’s medicines and P57,000 for his laboratory tests.

But her husband’s daily earnings as a jeepney driver barely cover their expenses, especially during the pandemic when lockdown measures prevented him from working.Vilma said she borrowed money from her family and friends to make sure her son would not miss a day of treatment.

Those who want to help pay for Timbol’s treatment can send their donations to Vilma’s BDO account no. 004920200768. She can be contacted at 0967-7127008.