Boy from Toledo City with relapsed leukemia pleads for help

An eleven-year-old boy from Barangay Poblacion, Toledo City pleads for financial help as he presses on with his journey towards complete healing against childhood cancer.

John Carl Benting was first diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) last June 2014. At a young age of six, he began to experience unusual symptoms like intermittent fever and his red blood cell count was low. Laboratory and diagnostic tests were carried out and the results confirmed his diagnosis. Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia is a type of cancer of the blood in which the bone marrow makes too many immature lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. This type of cancer commonly afflicts children and it usually gets worse quickly if it is not treated. In spite of the enfeebling effects of the disease, statistics show that it is curable with proper treatment. Chemotherapy is a long battle that usually lasts for three years.

John Carl successfully completed his chemotherapy on June 2017. After 10 months being cancer-free, his father noticed that he had excessive weight gain. A lumbar puncture was performed and he was found to have relapse of the leukemia in the central nervous system. Treatment for relapsed ALL usually requires a more intensive and aggressive chemotherapy to achieve cure. Currently, he is undergoing chemotherapy every week and as part of his treatment protocol, he is scheduled for hospital admission every two months.

John Carl is the youngest child in the family of six. His greatest desire is to finish his chemotherapy in order for him to get back to school. His father, who works at Carmen Copper Corporation earning P12,000 every month, is the only bread winner of the family. His mother unfortunately died on January 2014, six months before he was diagnosed with leukemia. Thus his family relies solely on their father’s income to meet their basic needs. Because of his repeat treatment, the family’s financial resources are already drained. His father struggles to find new sources of funds to support his son’s ongoing treatment. Hence he is wholeheartedly appealing to benevolent individuals for financial assistance as John Carl continues to battle cancer.

Those who wish to donate may coordinate with Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. – Cebu at Room 210 Cebu City Health Building with contact numbers (032) 232-4706, 412-9020, and 0933-194-0197 or kindly deposit donations directly to Unionbank under account name Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko and account number 00-112-000066-2. Please indicate the name of the patient in the deposit slip. Thank you.