Cancer care for 100 children in the Philippines

Dear friends, 

As summer comes to an end, we'd like to thank you for support and ask for your continued support through new seasons of World Child Cancer's project in the Philippines. 

Here are a few highlights from the last three months: 

• Our project leader, Dr. Mae Dolendo, presented on the Mindanao Pediatric Cancer Care Network at the St Jude Asia PreForum as a model for satellite network facilities for children with cancer.

• The renovation of a dedicated space for children with cancer at Butuan City Medical Center has been completed. 

• Three nursed have been trained in oncology at the Butuan City Medical Center. 

• The Southern Philippines Medical Center marked Retinoblastoma Day this month with a party for patients and their families. 

World Child Cancer is now supporting four satellite hospitals - in addition to the Southern Philippines Medical Center - treating children with cancer in Mindanao. From 2014 to 2015 there was a 16% percent increase in children helped across the network. This is due to an increase in training local medics at satellite centers, ongoing online trainings by St. Jude's Research Hospital, and increased funding for family support groups, medicines, and other activities. Your support has helped the project grow - thank you. 

One child helped this year is Jasmine. 4-year old Jasmine has travelled to the city of Davao, on the island of Mindanao, with her father from the neighboring island of Cebu. As Jasmine had been sick and having difficulties with her sight she was kept in a hammock from a very young age, and as a result was not talking or walking by herself when she arrived at the Southern Philippines Medical Center. 

She was diagnosed by the local team, led by Dr Mae Dolendo. Once her family knew that she had retinoblastoma and would need her left eye removed to save her life, her mother left and abandoned Jasmine and her father. They are now staying at the House of Hope, which is accommodation that is provided for families who need it at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao. Jasmine has been able to finish her chemotherapy treatment and even start walking and talking. Her and her father are able to access the facilities available at SPMC including psychological support and rehabilitation. It is not the end of Jasmine’s journey, as she will need follow-up treatment to ensure that she stays in remission, and hopefully will also be able to get a prosthetic eye. Her and her father have hugely benefitted from the support at House of Hope, and the holistic care provided to them by the whole team at SPMC. World Child Cancer is funding the development of satellite centers around the island of Mindanao, to improve access to care for children like Jasmine, who often have to travel great distances to reach the care they need.

We truly appreciate your support. As we enter into fall and into the holiday season, we hope you’ll continue to help children with cancer, like Jasmine, in the Philippines. Please share our page with your family, friends, and colleagues and help us reach more children. Thank you!

Best wishes,

LeAnn Fickes

p.s. Please feel free to email me at leann.fickes@worldchildcancer.us if you have any questions or would like to get more involved. 

leann.fickes@worldchildcancer.us 

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Hello friends,

Happy Spring! Thank you so much for supporting World Child Cancer's project in the Philippines. We're only $2,113 from our goal of helping 100 children in the Philippines. Your support has made a big impact; please read on for an update from our project leader, Dr. Mae Dolendo.

Dr. Dolendo sends this message, to thank you and update your on current challenges:

"Childhood cancer is highly curable. Nevertheless, one of its greatest challenge is lack of public awareness and education on its early signs and symptoms and the need to shift the people's health seeking behavior.

Almost 80 percent of the children we see come in late stages of disease. There is often considerable pain and suffering as well as many complications that further increase the cost of care and lessen the chances of cure.

Knowing that child cancer is curable and that there is a facility and team at the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMCC) that cares for children with cancer mitigates the many hurdles of care and cure.

Our program provides a venue where people can know more about childhood cancer; where families and communities can participate in inspiring our children and their families; and where we all learn the value of compassion, generosity and life.

As an oncologist taking care of these children, I have been greatly blessed with the joy of using my gifts and talents to help the children fight cancer. More importantly, the relationships born out of trials, tribulations and triumphs with the child, family and team have been a constant source of joy and courage.

We thank the community for wrapping its arms around our families at House of Hope. May you continue to share our journey and help us save every Filipino child with cancer, where we are."

In March, a team from World Child Cancer's UK office visited the Dr. Dolendo at the SPMCC and traveled to all four of World Child Cancer's satellite centers, which provide care for over 300 children with cancer. During their visit, Jon Rosser and Liz Burns were impressed with the child-centered care and treatment children receive and the dedication of Dr. Dolendo and her team. During this visit, Jon and Liz joined organized a party for children, their families, and SPMC staff - complete with a big meal for parents and children, a puppet show, hundreds of balloons, lots of games and presents for every child. Alongside all the mothers joining in enthusiastically, there was a lone father, dancing enthusiastically with his daughter. When he and his daughter arrived – from another island where they had not known how to treat her – she could not speak or walk because she had been left in a hammock permanently because the family did not know how to cope. Her Mom had abandoned her overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. But now here they were Dad and daughter dancing together, her treatment going well and she was running around (though still not very strong) and chatting away. The bond between father and daughter was very obvious. This amazing place had not just treated her cancer, but had given her back a childhood, and let her dad learn the joy of being a father.

Your contributions have helped support treatment costs, train Filipino doctors and nurses, supported travel costs, and helped fund the work of local healthcare professionals to diagnose, treat, and care for children with cancer on the island of Mindanao - thank you. In the first year only 30 children with almost no facilities available. Now 300 children a year are treated and over half survive. It is a colossal achievement of determination and perseverance and the satellite centers, supported by World Child Cancer, will steadily allow those numbers to increase, while reducing the burden of travel for parents. Your continued support will enable World Child Cancer to reach more children, improve survival rates, and ensure that no child suffers.

Please feel free to reach out to me personally with any questions at leann.fickes@worldchildcancer.us. Thank you again for making a difference in the lives of children with cancer.

Best wishes,

LeAnn Fickes, on behalf of all of us at World Child Cancer