A Desperate Cry of Help of a Niece for her UNCLE RAINIER MANACSA

TO ALL MY FRIENDS, RELATIVES, IPSA COMMUNITY, DLS-CSB COMMUNITY, ACQUAINTANCES OR TO YOU, WHO COULD RELATE TO MY STORY, HELLO, I hope everyone’s having a good day and are feeling well. I really appreciate you reading this, and I hope you would continue to read on..

What started as a fever on my Uncle turns out to be a dreadful news to me and my family. Since the fever was intermittent and it was associated with pallor, generalized weakness and drastic weight loss, we knew it doesn’t look good, but we never thought it was this bad.

February of the same year when my Aunt accompanies my Uncle to different clinics to do labs tests, having negative results plus his vision started to get blurry, they consulted a doctor and admitted him at St Jude Hospital. AGAIN, different tests were done: X-ray, ECG, urine, blood tests, etc. DAY BY DAY WHEN WE’RE GETTING THE RESULTS, WE’RE FINDING OUT NEGATIVE RESULTS.Consulting the results with a hematologist, he requested for a BONE MARROW ASPIRATION.

And so by doing a lot of tests and consult from doctors, it was April 1 when the diagnosis came out: My Uncle Rainier Manacsa, (My mom’s brother) was diagnosed and is suffering from B-CELL ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKEMIA, for the readers to have a better grasp of what this is: This is a FAST-GROWING CANCER in which the body produces a large number of immature white blood cells (lymphocytes). This kind of cancer mostly occurs in kids but also in adults. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS CONDITION THAT I LEFT UNTREATED FOR DAYS OR WEEKS – MAY BE FATAL. What makes it worse to my uncle’s condition, it has a lot of COMPLICATIONS that went to his VISION, LUNGS, KIDNEYS AND HEART. In his case as of today, he is very susceptible to allkinds of infection and bleeding so we’re really trying to let that not happen.

The doctor gave options for fighting this cancer; CHEMOTHERAPY &/ THE BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT. Both treatment are very expensive. Chemotherapy treatment needs to have a lot of session and different cycles. Each cycle could cost upto 50K+ exclusive of the supportive medications per cycle that could cost upto 120K and the maintenance drugs of about 216K! Plus the amount needed for the bone marrow transplant is 7million pesos! To know the price makes me want to break down and question myself if we could really do this.  BUT WHAT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO A PERSON WHO’S LOVED ONE IS IN DANGER RIGHT? I know I have to do something. Aggravated by the mass and liquid in his lungs, the cyst in his kidney, his heart and to find out the real reason of his fever, chemotherapy can’t start yet. The doctors still has to make sure it is safe to start the treatment.

When I knew what the diagnosis was, I felt like a BIG ROCK went straight to my chest. Me and my uncle are not very close, we may not share a lot of secrets but that doesn’t make me love and care for him less.  And as a daughter of a mother who loves his brother  (the youngest among the siblings) so dearly, THE PAIN THAT MY MOTHER FEELS IS 100X TO ME. I see my mother and her two other sisters battling this hardship everyday, the three marias taking turns everyday to stay overnight just to check on Uncle Boyet, and just to see them being strong and brave at this time or when I see them cheering up, taking care and helping their little brother gives me a lot of hope and help me seek for  a brighter day. 

A LOT OF TIMES I FEEL SO HELPLESS. As a 23 year old who graduated from a reputable school, I currently don’t have a regular job. But I don’t see that as a curse of anything, instead I am taking that as a blessing in disguise because somehow I could alot my time accompanying and taking care of my Uncle in the hospital since my mom and her sisters are arranging a lot of paper works and seeking help to other people.

I saw how the cancer changed his lifestyle. It made him very weak physically. He can’t walk straight and he just could make a few steps before catching his breath for air. His weight dropped down. He is honest with the pains and other feeling he is having. And at those times, I am very helpless. HOW I WISH THAT I CAN GET THE PHYSICAL DISCOMFORTS AWAY FROM HIM. IF ONLY I COULD DO SOMETHING.

THIS IS A DESPERATE CRY OF HELP. I am deeply asking for help in this crisis we are encountering. We are not rich, and most of us really don’t earn a lot. Our savings might be gone even before the chemotherapy might get to the 2nd phase. And with this I pray that people will be part of this battle by being a co-warrior and share what they can offer. I am humbly asking for help from everyone, whatever means would be welcome and I am deeply grateful and will try my outmost effort to return what you have done to our family.   

I don’t know if this is too much but I am humbly needing help. As of April 13, he was confined and transferred at the Philippine General Hospital to save on cost. An URGENT NEED FOR BLOODfor my uncle since his platelets and red blood cells are very very low. He needs bags of blood and platelets almost everyday but since PGH has a different protocol on letting the patients the bag of bloods needed (which usually takes a lot of time), we would really need blood donors of any type. (Since it will be replaced by Type A+ from the blood bank) Also, it is best of we have reserve blood for him incase his rbc and platelets go down again. If you are willing to share your blood which is considered to be a very big help to us, you may contact me at +639279927385, or my mother; Jana Samonte at +639203261903.

My Uncle has no one but us. He is single. He lives with my Aunt with her daughter and grandson in Manila. When we were kids, our Uncle Boyet always spoil us and treat us as his own. I know he has dedicated himself to us. That’s why to see him in this state is very painful to me.

Thank you for taking time to read this letter. I feel like I’ve said a lot and I apologize for that. This is my first draft and as much as possible I want to be in detail with everyone. Also, I hope and request to save a few minutes of time to offer a prayer for my Uncle Boyet, for him to be brave and to survive this trial.

Again, thank you all so much for I know you’ll be a part of the healing cycle of my Uncle Boyet. This is much appreciated. God knows and I know for sure that we will repay you, it may not be soon, but in time. God bless you and your loved ones.

Sincerely,

Bea Samonte (bei.samonte@gmail.com)

+639279927385

Taken last year. He is the one wearing the red polo shirt. Together with (from right to left) Aunt Amy, Tita Odette, Angeli (my cousin) and Tito Bill.

Taken February 2011 at their house in Manila. Together with (from R-L) My mother Jana, Uncle Boyet, Christian (my nephew), Aunt Amy, and my brother Brent

Taken March 28 2011. At St. Jude Hospital. Mum is assisting him while he’s having his snack.