Boy with colon problem needs new procedure

Ian Benedict Sta. Ana

MANILA, Philippines — Ian Benedict Sta. Ana was just a baby when he was diagnosed with Hirschsprung disease, which made it hard for him to move his bowels.

“We got worried because after four days, he had yet to pass stool even though he was drinking a lot of milk. When something that smelled bad came out of his mouth, we immediately took him to the hospital,” Sta. Ana’s father, Mark Lester, told the Inquirer.

Hirschsprung disease is a congenital ailment in which missing nerve cells in the colon make it hard to pass stool.

To help the boy move his bowels, doctors performed a colostomy. They also took out the portion of his colon which was blocking the passage of waste.

In July, doctors reversed the colostomy in the hope that Sta. Ana, now 8 years old and a Grade 3 student at Tabon Elementary School in Kawit, Cavite, would have normal bowel movements.

However, his condition has not yet improved since then. For the past months, he has not attended classes because he has been confined at the Philippine General Hospital due to infections.

“They did two dilation procedures this month to widen the passage. They will be doing a third one soon. But this time, they will insert a small camera to record and check why the colon is not functioning properly,” Mark Lester, who works as a welder, said.

He asked Inquirer readers for help as the third procedure would cost P40,000.

Mark Lester Sta. Ana can be reached at 0927-0725994. Donations can be coursed through his BPI account No. 003279-1816-45.