Girl with leukemia looks to future

Erielle Cerbito

MANILA, Philippines–Eleven-year-old Erielle Cerbito can now look forward to the future after a four-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Due to the improvement in her condition, doctors at Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) have allowed her to go back to school as a fourth grader, her mother Nora told the Inquirer.

The young girl was forced to drop out of CAA Elementary School in Las Piñas City for two years when she underwent chemotherapy.

However, to make sure that her ailment does not recur, Nora said Erielle must go every month to PCMC for regular checkups and medication (P5,000 per checkup).

She added that her daughter would also need to undergo a bone marrow test (P12,000 per test) next month and then once every three months afterward. The results would be forwarded by the hospital to the National Kidney Transplant Institute for double-checking.

Nora and her husband, Randy, who makes a living as a traffic enforcer, said they were very grateful that their daughter was on the way to recovery although they appealed to Inquirer readers for help in ensuring that Erielle gets the medical attention she needs.

Those who want to get in touch with Nora can call her at 0910-8443799. Donations can be deposited in her husband’s BPI account (Randy Cerbito/ account # 4619-1038-96).