First posted 6:58 pm | Saturday, April 5th, 2014
MANILA, Philippines—Cleofe Navarro, the 54-year old grandmother of six-year-old Ashley Anne Nepomuceno on Saturday thanked the good Samaritans who have helped them and have pledged to pay for her granddaughter’s medication.
“Ako po ay taos-pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyo. Lalo na ngayong walang trabaho ‘yung magulang niya,” she told INQUIRER.net, referring to the parents of Ashley, who are contractual employees.
(I am wholeheartedly thanking you, especially now that her parents are unemployed.)
Ashley, who suffers from a rare skin disease called epidermolysis bullosa (EB), had her bandages replaced this morning at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
They are hoping for the pledges promised by netizens who read about their plight through an INQUIRER.net article posted on Friday. It featured how passengers of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) chipped in to help them.
Cleofe Navarro, 54, carries her granddaughter Ashley Anne Nepomuceno, 6, inside the MRT. Nepomuceno suffers from a rare skin disease called epidermolysis bullosa and has stage 1 bone marrow cancer. Photo by Kristine Angeli Sabillo
Since its publication, hundreds of people have asked how they can help. On Saturday, Inquirer released details of the bank account where people can send their donations.
Ashley was able to undergo an important laboratory procedure on Friday through the help of someone they met at the MRT.
Nanay Cleofe said all they need is money to pay for Ashley’s skin medication since her chemotherapy has already been taken care of.
Their family spends at least P6,500 per week on skin ointments, among others. This amount does not include payment for the electron microscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures done every three months.
“Doon po sa willing na tumulong sa apo ko, maraming maraming salamat na madugtungan n’yo po ‘yung buhay ng apo ko. Iyon lang naman ang gusto ko habang buhay ako,” the grandmother said.
(To those willing to help my granddaughter, thank you very much for ensuring that she will live longer. That is all I am hoping for while I am alive.)
“Gusto ko naman na makita na habang buhay ako masaya s’ya kahit may karamdaman sya. Kaya lahat ng gusto n’ya binibigay ko po,” Navarro said.
(All I want while I am alive is to see her happy despite her illness. That is why I give her all she needs.)
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