Phoebe Apriel Enciso an 11-year-old girl from Barangay Talamban, Cebu City appeals for financial help to sustain her ongoing chemotherapy treatment and boost her recovery from COVID-19 | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
An 11-year-old girl from Barangay Talamban, Cebu City sincerely appeals for financial help to sustain her ongoing chemotherapy treatment and boost her recovery from COVID-19.
Phoebe Apriel Enciso was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) last October 2018. Before her diagnosis, she experienced colds and fever. She was pale and weak. Her mother also noticed a swollen lump on her neck. Because of these alarming manifestations, her mother decided to seek for medical interventions. A series of laboratory and diagnostic tests were performed like complete blood count, hematologic studies, biopsy, and bone marrow aspiration. The findings revealed that she has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, a type of cancer of the blood and bone marrow which mainly afflicts children. Despite its enfeebling effects, this disease has a high cure rate which means that there is an increased possibility for survival in children. Treatment usually includes prompt and intensive chemotherapy. If left untreated, this disease can become fatal.
Phoebe’s first dose of chemotherapy was given immediately after her diagnosis on October 2018. In order to cure this type of cancer, her attending hematologist-oncologist prescribed a treatment protocol that will last for at least three years. At present, she is on the maintenance phase of her treatment. Aside from taking prescribed oral medications, her chemotherapy sessions usually include triple intrathecal injection, a type of chemotherapy that is administered into the fluid between the membranes that line the brain and spinal cord during a lumbar puncture.
Aside from the ongoing challenges of chemotherapy, Phoebe’s family had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Her grandparents were the first to be hospitalized due to the disease. On July 17, her mother was also infected as evidenced by body pains, fever, and loss of appetite. On July 20, Phoebe and her brother underwent swab test. Four days after on July 24, the results came in and they also tested positive. On that same day, they were brought to the Cebu City NOAH Complex at the South Road Properties for isolation.
Phoebe is a good-hearted and thoughtful girl. She is very creative and loves the arts too. She is also resilient and intelligent. She longs to become a doctor someday in order to help children with cancer. Her mother disclosed that Phoebe, the second of the two siblings, loves to give presents to her family and to the medical team taking care of her during chemotherapy. Her mother works as a call center personnel and earns at least P12,000 every month. Her mother’s monthly income is indeed very insufficient in meeting the daily needs of their growing family. The huge cost of Phoebe’s chemotherapy treatment really drained their limited financial resources. Due to the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, her mother’s work was interrupted and their family is immensely affected. Hence, the family humbly calls for financial assistance from generous individuals to help save Phoebe’s life and give her an opportunity to grow up.
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.
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