Ex-teacher battling cancer needs prayers, aid

Maria Teresa Principe

This is probably the hardest that Maria Teresa Principe, an elementary school teacher, has prayed in her life since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006.

“Wherever I go, whatever I do, I always pray. One of my prayers go: ‘Lord, please give me long life that I may be able to take care of and watch my two children grow.’ My eldest has autism,” said the 46-year-old Grade 4 math teacher who lives in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.

Principe said after 10 years of undergoing chemotherapy while teaching at Balara Elementary School in Quezon City, she applied for early retirement in January last year.

Her request was approved by the principal who said that she felt for her whenever she went in and out of the hospital.

“When I was just diagnosed, she was always considerate of my condition despite my frequent absences,” Principe said, adding that she started teaching in the school in 1993.

Now that her cancer has metastasized and spread to her bones, lungs and brain, Principe has started undergoing radiation therapy.

She also needs to take Lapatinib for three months (5x a day) which will cost her P40,000 a week. Her husband is currently jobless.

Maria Teresa Principe may be contacted at 0928-7223164. Those who want to help her may deposit their donations in her RCBC bank account (#9017532338).