Leukemic 6-year-old keeps dream of being doctor

Deeleven Obosa

The youngest of four siblings, Deeleven Obosa was just 2 years old when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on Feb. 25, 2019. He has since been undergoing continuous medication on top of chemotherapy.

In May, however, Obosa suffered a relapse after cancer cells were detected in another part of his body. Still, he remains cheerful and confident about achieving his dream of becoming a doctor, even if it means doing construction work to have enough funds, his mother Brenda told the Inquirer in an interview.

Asked why he wanted to be a doctor, the 6-year-old told the Inquirer in a loud voice: “Because I want to be rich!”

Obosa did not enroll this school year upon the advice of his doctor even though he really wanted to attend classes. “A teacher in our community even offered to teach him at the cost of P500 a week,” Brenda said, adding that while they wanted to accept her offer, their meager earnings were just enough to cover their daily expenses.

Money has been quite tight for the family of six whose only source of income comes from selling vegetables and chicken. “My husband still hasn’t gotten a job since the pandemic, so we pay for our expenses with what we earn from this small business,” Brenda said.

Because of his relapse, Obosa is set to undergo an adjusted cycle of chemotherapy, various laboratory tests and medication at Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Each chemotherapy session will cost the family P112,342.10.

The boy was supposed to start treatment this week but it was postponed after the mandatory COVID-19 test before his admission to the hospital came up positive. Fortunately, he has remained asymptomatic. His treatment has been reset to later this month.

“It’s a double whammy for us right now,” his mother said, adding that she was worried that other family members, including her, could also be infected. To help pay for Obosa’s medication and chemotherapy, donations can be deposited in the BDO account of his uncle Elmer Gildo with account No. 002112629200. Obosa can be reached through his mother Brenda at 0947-4407579.

READ: Pandemic makes life tougher for boy with leukemia