Help my mom Daisy fight cancer

This is hard to write, for many reasons. It's hard for me to ask for help. And harder still to witness my mom battle cancer. In the Philippines, getting access to sufficient, reliable, and timely medical care is not a given. You need a lot, a whole lot to make that happen.

My mom was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer a few days before Christmas in 2024. Before the diagnosis, she had already undergone a surgery to remove a lump in her breast and have it examined. Three weeks after the procedure, we received the results that the cells were cancerous. At that time, my mom's hair still shone black. Her smile present. She still insisted on doing the dishes. We celebrated Christmas, and the new year. And a few days later, my siblings arranged to get her to Manila to get comprehensive medical care at St. Luke's Hospital.

My mom's treatment involves a mastectomy, 4 chemo cycles with a type of medicine every 3 weeks, 12 cycles of another type of medicine every week, and after these, radiation for 30 days. The radiation will be followed by hormone therapy, from what I understand. She has completed the mastectomy, the 4 cycles of the first medicine, and 8 cycles of the second medicine. Since 12 July, she has been in the hospital because of persistent fever. The doctors are still trying to find out what infection is causing the fever. For an immuno-compromised cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy, every fever is critical and needs close prompt medical attention and action. For this hospital stay of a few days alone, we're already looking at a bill of 2000 euros (PhP 120000). The final bill will be higher since she needs to stay in the hospital until the fever is gone for at least 24 hours without using paracetamol.

Prior to this hospitalisation, our family had already spent at least 25000 euros for all tests and scans, doctor's visits, medicines, hospital stays, renting a second home near the hospital, and all the costs of running a second home. This doesn't include the costs of the 4 remaining chemo cycles, the 30-day radiation, and the medicines after that. It starts to feel like a lot. The situation is unlike here in the EU where all of these are comprehensively covered by insurance and the cost is the least of one's concern in a fight against cancer. We've received discounts from PhilHealth (the Philippine public health insurance system), from my mom being a senior citizen (over 60 years old), and some tests were covered by Cocolife (my brother's private insurance from work). But the costs we cover are still high. We have approached a politician in our district (as is the practice in the Philippines), but we were turned away with the comment that they do not have the funds. We've also explored the possibility of getting help from a Philippine charity, but the online system keeps indicating they have reached their quota for the day.

With the current hospitalisation setting us back a few thousand euros, I thought I'd gather every courage I have, to do this. As an adult, I've never asked anyone for any amount. But then, we've never faced this kind of challenge either.

If there's any amount you can spare, no coin is too small. Your thoughts, and well-wishes, and prayers matter to us. Will you help us, if you can? Whether by giving, or praying, or sharing this link to your family and friends, or sending us a note of warm words that we can pass on to my mom? My birthday is coming up in two weeks, and I'd take it as a gift of kindness and warmth, if you remember us.

Thank you for reading this note.

- Aisa O. Manlosa-Kirk