‘Leukemia girl’ in need

As leukemia patient Aizelle Gem Cabalquinto turns five years next month, she has just one goal: to get well so that she could start going to school. “As much as we wanted to enroll her in school, her doctors discouraged us because she might be exposed to different kinds of communicable diseases due to her weakened immune system,” her mother, Jaira Alicante, said.

To keep her hemoglobin level normal, Aizelle has been taking maintenance medicines such as cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and cotrimoxazole, which cost her family P1,000 a day.

Next month, she is scheduled to undergo chemotherapy at Philippine Children’s Medical Center. Her doctors, meanwhile, have advised her parents that their daughter also needs to undergo another bone marrow procedure to verify previous findings. Both procedures will cost at least P20,000.

Those who want to help Aizelle can contact the family at 0905-4634416. Donations are also welcome and can be deposited in the bank account of the girl’s father, Jommel Cabalquinto (Landbank/ account number 2726074855).—Santiago R. Alcantara