Mom’s wish for daughter with leukemia: Long life

Six-year-old Angela Erica Ledda is undergoing treatment for leukemia.

MANILA, Philippines — After almost a year of undergoing chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, 6-year-old Angela Erica Ledda has become so used to needles that medical technologists at Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) in Quezon City call her “the brave girl.”

“Angel’s thinking is quite mature for her age,” Ledda’s mother, Analyn, told the Inquirer. “When we went to PCMC for the first time, we saw all these patients undergoing treatment and instead of being scared, she was inspired by their bravery. I told her that if they could do it, she could, too.”

In December 2020, Ledda was taken by her parents to a hospital near their house in Bacoor, Cavite, for a recurrent fever, weight loss and lack of appetite. The doctor initially suspected dengue after a blood test showed a below-normal platelet count but the results came back negative. During several more trips to the emergency room over the next weeks, she was treated for typhlitis (inflammation of a part of the large intestine) but her worried pediatrician also referred her to a hematologist after more tests showed dipping red blood cells and platelet levels.

After a bone marrow test on Jan. 4, 2021, confirmed that her daughter had leukemia, Analyn was in denial. “It was hard to take. I was thinking it should have been me instead because Angel is too young.”

Ledda started undergoing a three-year-long chemotherapy treatment protocol and in the first three months, she had to go to PCMC almost every day. Her hospital visits have since been reduced to twice a week and, since the beginning of 2022, to every two weeks. Each cycle costs P76,322.20, but the family also spends almost P300 for a complete blood count per checkup and P8,000 for a bone marrow exam every three months.

Analyn is thankful that her daughter is responding well to treatment, thanks to her brave disposition. “Angel is a fighter. Also, there are many people praying for her aside from our family and her friends in school.”

A kindergarten student, Ledda works on her modules by herself.

“When she doesn’t understand something, she asks the teacher questions. She is fond of leading her classmates in prayer. God really gave me an angel,” said Analyn, who works as an office clerk. Her husband is an on-call helper.

While her daughter dreams of becoming a chef, her mother’s wish for her is simple.

“Whenever I pray the rosary while commuting to the office, I pray for her to be healed and to achieve her dreams. I pray that I would be able to raise her right and for her to have a long life,” Analyn said.

Those who want to help pay for Ledda’s medical expenses can deposit their donations in Analyn S. Ledda’s CTBC Bank (Philippines) Corp. account with account no. 017020013896. She can be contacted at 0929-7530380.

—STEPHANIE R. ASUNCION