Dad of teenager battling leukemia seeks help

John Casie Moralita

John Casie Moralita was just 17 years old and a Grade 8 student at Maypajo High School in Caloocan City when he was rushed to Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center on Sept. 16 last year due to a fever accompanied by severe abdominal pain.

“It turned out he was suffering from appendicitis and doctors operated on him the following day,” Ricardo Moralita, John Casie’s father who works as a laborer, told the Inquirer.

A month after the operation, Ricardo and his wife, Jocelyn, noticed that their youngest child in a brood of six kids had yet to fully recover. He was also losing weight.

“We got worried so we took him back to the hospital. It was then that doctors discovered that he has acute myelogenous leukemia. We were told to go to Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and true enough, his hemoglobin and platelet count were already low,” he added.

Based on the recommendation of PGH doctors, John Casie underwent chemotherapy. Almost a year later, the teenager has been given the go-signal to continue chemotherapy but through oral medication.

“He has to take Etoposide (a chemotherapy tablet) for three years. He will take the medicine every day for 21 days. Then he rests for seven days and then, the 21-day medication cycle begins again until the three-year period is over,” Ricardo said.

He appealed to Inquirer readers to give his son a fighting chance against leukemia, saying: “Please help us and give us hope.”

A tablet of Etoposide costs P476. Ricardo said they would have to spend P9,996 a month for the next three years or almost P360,000 for John Casie’s treatment.

Those who want to help the teenager can call his father at 0933-1147889. Donations can be deposited in Ricardo Moralita’s Landbank account (#2916 087 54).