
AND PAY MEDICAL EXPENSES IN THE PHILIPPINES
Cold sweat rushed over me as I watch my loved ones, via facetime, take turns to keep my mother Hazelel alive.
What makes it even harder, I’m at work in Boston, MA while my 81-year-old mother is more than 8,500 miles away from me -- at the Malaybalay Polymedic General Hospital in the Philippines.
Mama was getting ready to go to church last Saturday when she suddenly felt ill. She didn’t make it to church as she become very dyspneic -- difficulty in breathing, often associated with lung or heart disease and resulting in shortness of breath. Also called air hunger.
She was rushed to the hospital.
My family later found out that Mama had a heart attack, complicated by upper GI bleeding, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and shortness of breath…
Last Saturday, my sister told me via a text message that she was so short of breath at the Emergency Room, an internist decided to tube her right away but the biggest concern was that an ICU bed and vent were not readily available.
So that meant, my nephew Dawnelle and brother Ian took turns “bagging her” -- since a mechanical ventilator to help her breathe is not available, they had to manually resuscitate her using a hand-held self-inflating bag or ambulatory bag for 10 long hours.
As an ER nurse, I know exactly how a few minutes of bagging can be exhausting for those who are pressing the bag manually.
I also know how critical it is to maintain her breathing, long pauses or stopping for a few could mean oxygen not getting through her lungs and through her brain… that could even result in death if not done properly.
Tears flow uncontrollably as soon as my mother’s face came up on the screen via facetime, bucking on the tube and opening her eyes every time I called her name.
It was the hardest sight to see my mother suffer not just from her medical condition but from lack of resources and availability of equipment in a hospital thousands of miles away from my fully equipped and fully funded hospital in Boston where I work at.
No one should suffer from lack of resources or technology, let alone it was my mother who is suffering from all these.
My brother, cousins, nephews, and nieces took turns bagging her for over 10 hours until she was hooked to a vent around 10 AM, Sunday.
Thanks to social media, my high school classmate who works for the government hospital was able to get her a neuro ICU bed and a vent temporarily until a space opens up in their MICU.
On Sunday night, I was able to speak to her nurse and was informed that Mom is awake, intubated, not sedated and is on 2 pressors (medication to help with BP).
There was hope of her meds being tapered soon as her vital signs had improved.
On top of the diagnoses mentioned above, mama has pre-existing liver cirrhosis (liver disease), esophageal varices (enlarged veins in the esophagus often due to obstructed blood flow), Peripheral vascular disease, and thrombocytopenia (low blood platelet count).
My mother, though she doesn’t have a lot, has dedicated her life to be of service to others especially those who are in dire of need help.
Benevolence and charity is second nature to her.
Every time she makes us food, she always made sure that there’ll be extra for a hungry friend or relative, who decides to stop by our house to visit. She made sure that everyone in the house have eaten.
She sent some of her siblings and other relatives to school.
My mother didn’t come from money and she didn’t amass a lot of it but she worked hard all her life to be able to help her family, relatives, and anyone around her who needs her. You don’t even have to ask twice.
Now, it’s her turn to receive some help. It’s our turn to give back to her.
She is now confined at the Bukidnon Provincial Hospital.
Her medical needs are becoming more expensive. The healthcare system in the Philippines is cash only (she get’s 20% senior citizen discount) and there’s no medical insurance that could help pay for her medications, hospital stay, and other medical needs.
I don’t know how soon she’ll be taken off the vent as her vital signs now has been unstable but she’ll probably be needing longer hospitalization.
I humbly ask your kind hearts to please consider sharing some of your blessings to my mother as she bravely fights this medical battle together with the help of our family.
Any amount, big or small, will help pay for her medical expenses including hospital stays, medication, medical equipment, and other medical needs to keep her alive.
But most of all, we need your prayers for her to get through this.
My family and I would love to spend some more time with her as she is now in her eighties.
Thanks so much for all your help in advance.
Organizer
Glenn Ronald P Dazo
Organizer
Boston, MA