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Child with Cancer from Zamboanga del Norte Calls for Help

- February 29, 2024

A four-year-old girl from Brgy. Poblacion, Siayan, Zamboanga del Norte is calling for financial assistance to help sustain her chemotherapy treatment.

Those who wish to donate may contact Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. – Cebu through cellphone number 0933-194-0197 and landline number (032) 239-6168 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. 

Lucille Jhen Dionaldo was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) last September 19, 2023, 2 months after she celebrated her 4th birthday. Her symptoms started to manifest weeks prior to her diagnosis as pallor, bone pains, swollen hands and feet, and fever. Extremely disturbed by the health condition of Lucille Jhen, her mother sought consult with a pediatrician. A complete blood count was then requested and results showed high white cell counts, low hemoglobin and low platelets. Alarmed by the unfavorable results, her doctor subsequently referred her to a hospital in Cebu City for further work-up and management.

A bone marrow aspiration was done last September 22, 2023 and results revealed Lucille Jhen has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  ALL is a type of blood cancer that results from the bone marrow making too many immature white blood cells. This blood malignancy is potentially curable with intensive chemotherapy. However, without treatment this disease progresses very quickly and is fatal.

Lucille Jhen Dionaldo

4-year old Lucille Jhen Dionaldo diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Her chemotherapy treatment started immediately after diagnosis. To achieve cure, she needs intensive chemotherapy. The treatment is long and challenging. She has to adhere to a three-year treatment protocol which uses chemotherapeutic drugs to eradicate cancer cells and she also has to undergo regular check-ups and laboratory workups to closely monitor her condition.  Her chemotherapy sessions costs around Twenty Thousand Pesos (P20,000) per week.

Like other children who have dreams, Lucille Jhen has dreams, too. The sweet, obedient, and cheerful child dreams of becoming a doctor in God’s perfect time. She also loves to play a lot and her favorite companion is her coloring book. As the youngest child, she is deeply loved and valued by her family. When asked about her wish for her daughter, her mother lovingly answered, ”Her complete healing is my only wish and I’m deeply praying for it.”  Lucille Jhen’s parents are both working.  Her father is a jail officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology while her mother is a government employee. Cancer is a high-cost disease and even the combined income of Lucille’s parents is not enough for the costly medical care. Hence, her parents are earnestly appealing for financial assistance from generous individuals to help Lucille Jhen sustain her 3-year life-saving chemotherapy treatment.

With a community of loving people there is hope for Lucille Jhen and her family. Let us help this child pursue her dream of saving lives in the future.    

Those who wish to donate may contact Kapwa Ko, Mahal Ko Foundation Inc. – Cebu through cellphone number 0933-194-0197 and landline number (032) 239-6168 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.

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