Boy with leukemia calls for urgent help

Khalil Jaydhen Tabasa, diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia | Contributed Photo

A seven-year-old boy from Brgy. Kinasang-an Pardo, Cebu City is earnestly calling for urgent financial help to boost his ongoing fight against cancer.  

Khalil Jaydhen Tabasa was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia on July 27, 2022. A week before his diagnosis, he suddenly became ill. He had fever and his body was weak. Bruises can be seen on his arms and feet too. He also had episodes of vomiting and nosebleed. These startling symptoms frightened his parents. He was brought to a hospital in Cebu City for check-up and was later advised for admission. A series of laboratory and diagnostic tests like complete blood count, bone marrow aspiration, and leukemia panel were then performed to determine the cause of his condition. The results showed that Khalil has Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer of the blood in which the bone marrow produces an abnormally high number of immature lymphocytes causing its build-up and decreasing the other healthy blood cells. This disease also commonly affects children. Yet, there is a high chance of cure for children who are treated promptly with intensive chemotherapy. 

Khalil’s chemotherapy began on August 12, 2022. His attending physician prescribed a treatment protocol that they will follow for the next three years in order to achieve thorough healing. Indeed, this lengthy treatment comes at a high cost for the child and his parents. At the moment, he is in the induction phase which is the first part of his treatment. His monthly chemotherapy sessions are very expensive. His regular laboratory workups and other medical procedures also add to their mounting expenditures. Considering all these, his medical needs will reach up to P35,000 every month.

Khalil is a loving and obedient boy as described by his mother. He also learns fast in school and loves to read books. He delights to eat spaghetti because it is one of his favorite foods. He also likes to play basketball with his cousins. At a young age, his dream is to become a policeman someday. As the second of four siblings, his family loves and holds him dearly. When asked about her wish for Khalil, his mother said, “I hope that my child’s body will respond well to the treatment so that he can fully recover from his illness. I also wish that we can provide for his medications and that good-hearted people will also support us.” Khalil’s father works as an installer of glass and aluminum and earns at least P6,000 every month. His mother, a housewife, takes good care of the whole family. The COVID-19 pandemic and the high cost of living nowadays had intensified the financial troubles that they are going through. In addition, Khalil’s continuing chemotherapy had already drained their meager financial resources. Truly, they are in desperate need of help. Hence, it behooves his parents to genuinely plead for financial assistance from generous individuals in order to save the life of their beloved child. 

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 the 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.

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