Grandmother with Nasopharyngeal Cancer needs urgent help

Ma. Eden Lentejas, diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Cancer | Contributed Photo

A 56-year-old grandmother from Calbayog City, Samar is in desperate need of urgent financial help for her ongoing medical treatment against the “Big C.”  

Ma. Eden Lentejas was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Cancer on March 2021. Four years before her diagnosis, she noticed that there was a growing mass in the left side of her face. A year after that, she went for consultation at a hospital in Tacloban City and surgery was performed to remove the tumor. Unfortunately, the tumor recurred and it kept on getting bigger. So, they decided to go to Cebu City for specialized medical care. A series of laboratory and diagnostic tests were carried out and the results confirmed her diagnosis. Nasopharyngeal cancer is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the nasopharynx which is located behind the nose and above the back of the throat. This disease is difficult to detect early and its treatment usually involves radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Because of the serious nature of her disease, Ma. Eden’s attending physician prescribed six cycles of chemotherapy. Her first cycle was administered on June 2022 and her last cycle on November 26, 2022. Her treatment, which is comprised of laboratory tests, medical procedures, chemotherapeutic drugs, and other prescribed medicines, is very costly. Their estimated total cost of expenses had reached around P16,000 every chemotherapy session. At present, she is preparing herself to undergo radiation therapy as requested by her attending physician. This next treatment will cost them around P37,000.

Ma. Eden is a kindhearted woman. She is also a responsible mother to her three children and a loving grandmother to her four grandchildren. When asked about his wish for his wife, her husband replied, “I wish that many people will help us sustain my wife’s treatment. We are truly financially drained at this moment.” Ma. Eden is a housewife who takes care of the family. Her husband works as a security guard with at least P12,000 income every month. But because of her weakened condition, her husband had stopped working for the past three months in order to accompany her during treatment sessions. Due to Ma. Eden’s high-priced treatment, their financial resources could not keep up with her overwhelming medical expenses. Their family does not have much and they are now immensely challenged financially. Thus, in order to save Ma. Eden’s life and support her treatment, her family is wholeheartedly pleading for financial assistance from benevolent individuals who are willing to share their blessings.

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 on the deposit slip. Thank you very much.