A one-year-old boy from Brgy. Canduman, Mandaue City is in dire need of urgent financial help for his ongoing hospital admission and maintenance care after his liver transplant procedure.
Ely Gabriel Cuison was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia on July 2020. His debilitating diagnosis was a big surprise for his family and relatives. At three months old, he started manifesting jaundice- the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes- the result from the buildup of bile in the body which are the first signs of the disease. Because of these alarming symptoms, his parents brought him to a physician for medical consultation. After that, they were referred to a hospital in Cebu City where he was immediately admitted. During his admission, he suffered from seizures too. Laboratory procedures and diagnostic tests were done including ultrasound and a hepatobiliary iminodiacetic acid (HIDA) scan which is an imaging procedure used to diagnose problems of the liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts. When the results came out, it confirmed his diagnosis. Biliary Atresia is a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts. It occurs in infants when the bile flow from the liver to the gallbladder is blocked. This causes the bile to be trapped inside the liver which can result to damage and scarring of the liver cells and eventually liver failure. Infants with this type of disease require prompt medical and surgical treatment.
Following his diagnosis, his attending pediatric gastroenterologist provided timely medical interventions and advised his parents that he needs to undergo liver transplantation. A liver transplant is a surgical procedure that removes a liver that no longer functions properly and replaces it with a healthy liver from a donor. After the transplant, ongoing lifelong care is required. Due to the delicate nature of the surgery, his parents decided that the operation will be performed at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in New Delhi, India. They flew to India on July 2021 and the operation was performed on August 24, 2021. On December 12, they were able to come home to Cebu. Unfortunately, an infection after his liver transplant was detected on January 13, 2022 and he was then admitted at Perpetual Succour Hospital. He is still admitted as of this writing. This unexpected hospitalization is projected to cost around P100,000. Additionally, his monthly treatment expenses which include maintenance medications and laboratory tests would reach up to P30,000.
Despite his enfeebling liver condition, Ely is a resilient boy. As the second child of the family, he is deeply loved and valued by his parents. Currently, his father has no work. His mother who worked previously as a call center agent had to resign from work in order to take good care of him. Because of this family situation, they had to rely fully on their relatives and friends together with the help of various agencies and organizations to support Ely’s costly treatment. They are indeed unable to bear all of these financial challenges by themselves. The COVID-19 pandemic and the devastation of typhoon Odette had also added tremendous financial strain to their family. Thus, his parents are wholeheartedly appealing to generous individuals for financial assistance that will surely play a key role in saving Ely’s life. When asked about her wish for their precious child, his mother responded, “We genuinely love him and it is very difficult for us to see him sick.” “We fervently wish that he will achieve complete healing,” she added.
Those who wish to donate may contact Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. – Cebu through these cellphone numbers 0945-712-6657 or 0932-443-7135. You can also deposit donations directly to Unionbank under account name Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. – Cebu and account number 00-112-000066-2. Please indicate the name of the patient in the deposit slip.