By LeAnn Fickes | Operations and Development Manager
Dear friends,
We'd like to thank you for your continued support and give you an update on our progress. To date, you've helped us raise over $5,000, which can fund the salary of a local oncology nurse at a hospital in the Mindanao Pediatric Cancer Network for one year. Nurses are instrumental in delivering treatment and care to children with cancer and your help makes it possible for local nurses to receive training and support. Thank you!
At the end of January, members of World Child Cancer's Operations team, Liz Burns and Ed Minor, visited the hospitals in the Mindanao Pediatric Cancer Network (MPCN) where they met with local childhood cancer teams, patients, and families. The network ensures that patient shared care works effectively; established and sustained relationships between teams in different locations, mean more children are referred in time for treatment. Since World Child Cancer began supporting the MPCN in 2009, many more children are completing their treatment and survival rates have increased from less than 20% to over 60%.
During their visit, Liz and Ed traveled to General Santos City where they visited St. Elizabeth Hospital, one of the satellite centers in the MPCN. Its position in the south means many families who would find it difficult to reach Davao have a reliable place to come for cancer diagnosis and treatment. The team have two beds available for children with cancer, provided free of charge, even though it's a private hospital. Maria Christina (doctor), Camille (nurse) and Lovebel (admin assistant) take care of the patients here and maintain close communication with Dr. Dolendo who visits regularly to hold case consultations.
Liz and Ed also met with patients and their families at St. Elizabeth Hospital. Families discussed the difficulties of accessing treatment due to cost and they said how wonderful it was to receive the support they do through the pediatric cancer network in Mindanao. Grace, a friendly ten-year-old girl who lives on the outskirts of General Santos City, travels by bus with her Mom every three months to St. Elizabeth Hospital for maintenance chemotherapy. Grace loves seeing her friends at the House of Hope in Davao (a hostel for patients and their families) and attending school, where she likes to write stories and her favorite subject is English. Thanks to the amazing medical team and your support, children like Grace are able to complete the full-course of cancer treatment and return to school and being kids.
World Child Cancer is dedicated to supporting project lead Dr. Mae Dolendo and her team as they continue to develop childhood cancer services across Mindanao. Expertise at and communication between hospitals on this diverse island will – and has already – improved treatment for and care of children with cancer and their families. Your generosity is helping us reach more children with cancer and we are very grateful for your support.
THANK YOU once again for partnering with us and allowing us to continue to help children in the Philippines. Please contact me at leann.fickes@worldchildcancer.us if you have any questions or would like more information - we're always happy to hear from you.
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