Aila Manalang
MANILA, Philippines–Although Aila Manalang was born with thalassemia, a blood disease that requires lifetime blood transfusion, the thought of dropping out of school never crossed her mind.
Now a Grade 7 student at Tondo High School in Moriones, Tondo, Manila, the 12-year-old girl has been a source of inspiration to her mother, Marivic.
At present, Aila is under medication to regulate the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin in her body.
Marivic said that the obvious signs that her daughter is unwell is her smaller than usual frame and bloated tummy especially when she fails to take her medication which costs P170,000 a year. The sole breadwinner in the family is her husband, a construction worker, who needs to work doubly hard to make ends meet.
Those who want to help Aila can contact Marivic at 0919-4013144. For donations, please make a deposit in the Landbank account of Aila’s sister Alma Manalang (account number 1436098347).