When Renante Navarro was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) at the age of eight, doctors at Philippine General Hospital recommended a series of chemotherapy sessions for him.
He is now 13 years old but he has yet to complete the whole treatment cycle due to lack of funds.
Lorna Navarro, the boy’s mother, said that PGH doctors had told her that Renante’s condition was inborn.
LCH is a disease characterized by the overproduction of immature Langerhans cells, a type of white blood cell that helps the body fight infection. The condition can lead to tumors or organ damage.
The son of a carpenter from Pangasinan who lives in Binondo, Manila, Renante needs to undergo six more chemotherapy sessions to complete the treatment cycle. Each session costs P6,000 each.
“I hope this will soon be over because I can tell he was in pain during each session. He would tell me: ‘Even if I am not feeling well, you insist on still bringing me to the hospital for treatment.’ He doesn’t like to undergo chemo anymore but we can’t do anything,” Lorna said.
Lorna can be reached at 0908-6240131. Deposits can be made to her BDO bank account (number 000360100368).