MANILA, Philippines—Whenever he fails to take his medicine, 8-year-old Gerald John Panti deliberately bangs his head against the wall or the floor.
After the boy was diagnosed with autism years ago, doctors at the Philippine General Hospital told his mother, Delia, that he must take Risperidone every day to control his urge to hurt himself.
“As a single parent, I want to avert the worst-case scenario of seeing him bleeding which is why I am appealing for financial support from your readers,” Delia told the Inquirer in Filipino.
According to her, Gerald John’s condition is for life “unlike common colds that go away… but children with autism can be trained to become productive members of society.”
Aside from his medication, which costs Delia P3,000 a month, her son also undergoes occupational therapy at P6,000 monthly to improve his verbal and sensory abilities and temper his hyper-behavior.
Those who want to help Delia can call her at 0946-4969530.
Deposits can be made to her BPI account (account number 4949572523).