A four-year-old girl from Brgy. Sawang Calero, Cebu City is heartily pleading for urgent financial help as she battles cancer through chemotherapy.
Kapwa ko Mahal Ko patient, Phoebe Zhane Montemayor was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) on March 2023. Willing donors may contact Kapwa Ko Mahal Ko Cebu here.
Phoebe Zhane Montemayor was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in March 2023. The first signs of her disease appeared when she was still two years old. During that time, she had nosebleed and joint pains. Then a few days before her diagnosis, the signs and symptoms began to manifest again. She experienced recurring fever, nosebleed, joint pains, and unusual paleness. The right side of her body was also very weak. Her family members were frightened by these symptoms, so they brought her to a clinic for check-up. A complete blood count was done and the results showed blood counts not in the normal range. Because of that, they were referred to seek specialized care. Bone marrow aspiration was then performed and the result pointed out that she has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the blood which commonly affects children. This disease is characterized by the abnormal increase in the production of immature lymphocytes by the bone marrow causing its build up in the blood while crowding out healthy cells. Yet despite its detrimental effects to the body, there is a high chance of cure for children who are treated promptly with intensive chemotherapy.
Phoebe’s journey against the “Big C” started when her first chemotherapy was administered following her diagnosis. In order to completely eradicate the cancer cells in her body, her attending physician prescribed a treatment protocol that will last for three years. Presently, she is going through the induction phase which is the first part of her treatment. This phase requires that she will undergo chemotherapy three times a week. Her chemotherapy sessions including her regular laboratory workups, medical procedures, chemotherapeutic drugs, and other maintenance medications come at an incredibly high cost. It is estimated to reach up to P10,000 every week.
As described by her mother, Phoebe is a good-hearted and jolly girl. Despite her illness, she displays courage and a formidable fighting spirit. During her leisure time, she dances and sings too. At her young age, she dreams of becoming a teacher someday. As the second of the two siblings, her family loves and treasures her profoundly. When asked about her wish for Phoebe, her mother said, “My only wish is for her to complete her treatment and successfully recover from her disease. I also fervently pray that she will be able to live and enjoy a healthy life.” Phoebe’s family solely relies on her mother for support and care. Her mother is a beauty advisor at a health and beauty shop and earns at least P8,000 every month. The meager income of her mother is truly very insufficient to make ends meet for their growing family. Adding to their financial difficulty is Phoebe’s costly chemotherapy treatment which has utterly drained their funds. Now, they are in desperate need of help and support. Hence, in order to save Phoebe’s life and sustain her continuing treatment, her family is humbly asking for financial assistance from generous 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 and account number 00-112-000066-2. Please indicate the name of the patient in the deposit slip. Thank you very much.