Kidney patient seeks aid

Had Cecelio Amamio stayed longer in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a driver, he could have earned enough money to shoulder the dialysis sessions of his wife, Dolores Amamio, who has been diagnosed with end stage renal disease.

Cecelio, however, said he could not stand to be away from his ailing wife with whom he has three children.

“What’s the use of being there when your wife is here suffering?” he told the Inquirer.

Cecelio used to be a taxi driver in Manila until he was recruited by Yusuf, an Arab engineer who came to the Philippines to look for potential employees.

“I drove him to a hotel at 7 p.m. where he was supposed to meet a friend. Maybe he was just testing me when he told me to pick him up at 1 a.m. while leaving me his cell phone and cash amounting to P3,000. Before I knew it, he was offering me a job abroad which I accepted,” said the 54-year-old resident of Gen. Trias in Cavite province.

Twice a week, Cecelio brings his sick wife to the Divine Grace Medical Center in Tejero, Gen. Trias, for her dialysis.

For each session, they spend P5,400, including doctors’ fees, an amount that they have difficulty raising as both are out of work. Their daughter, Dolce Abuan, is the sole breadwinner.

Cecelio can be reached at 0935-1675301 while Dolce can be contacted at 0917-5226576. For donations, Dolce Abuan’s BPI account number is 9679125254.–Santiago R. Alcantara