Bedridden Pregnant Woman with Bipolar Disorder and Hyperemesis Gravidarum Needs Financial Assistance for Mom’s Advanced Endometrial and Cervical Cancer Therapy
Fundraising campaign by
Helen Mary Barrameda
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US$2,489.00raised of $8,000.00 goal goal
The campaign owner has stopped the page from accepting further donations. Please contact them if you'd still like to donate
Campaign Story
Hello kind souls in the digital world. My name is Helen Mary Labao-Barrameda. I am a freelance blogger and writer. For the last 12 years of my life, I usually work three to six simultaneous jobs to support my parents and siblings plus prepare for my future with my husband. However, I got pregnant in April and I had a very delicate condition that makes me vomit blood beyond the first trimester (it's called hyperemesis gravidarum). I get dehydrated and sometimes I get hospitalized.
I also have to take it easy because of depressive episodes of my bipolar disorder. I am already on my 4th month of pregnancy. Last Saturday, I had threatened miscarriage because I am having labor contractions too early in my pregnancy. Right now I am on total bed rest with bathroom privileges only. But I am not writing for myself. I am writing for my mom and for keeping my unborn baby safe inside my tummy despite my condition.
Here is my baby boy, surviving the labor contractions at 18 weeks (the curved thing on top of this ultrasound photo by the head region are the contractions):
Last month, my mother got diagnosed with cancer. Today, I found out that the assessment is endometrial cancer that has cancer cells extending to her cervix. They are still about to check via CT scan later if the cancer cells have reached her lungs. There is a basketball-sized mass in her uterus and she is already starting to manifest symptoms of pain from cancer cells eating up from the inside.
As I type this message, she is also fighting for her life and on her third hospitalization this month. I could not physically visit her because her grandson inside my tummy is in danger and I could not work fulltime or take multiple jobs like I used to because of my present condition. I already spent my childbirth money last month for my mom's medical emergency. Her husband has an enlarged heart condition and we are also watching out for him because he can have a heart attack anytime. Cousins and other friends are helping me with my mom's hospitalization. They live two to three hours away. My sister is only 16 years old; she cannot work and she even volunteered to quit school but my mother's dream for her is to finish college and I am also working to fulfill that dream after this is over.
My own OB gyn informed me that my mother living long enough to see her grandchild this January may not be possible.
With this funding campaign, I am hoping to provide enough financial assistance for the series of hospitalizations that she will be having including pain management, CT scans for her body, chemotherapy OR palliative care if the cancer has fully taken over, and molecular nutrition to help her symptoms. I also plan to put some funds on standby in case she needs bags of blood for operation. I will also use part of the money to get a part time care giver to attend to her needs and transportation for her blood transfusion emergencies as her hemoglobin drops. This way, my stepfather with the heart condition can also occasionally get some sleep and not have a full blown heart attack as he deals with his wife's diagnosis.
Please help us. I have nowhere else to go and this is the only way I can think of right now to help out my family in this very painful crisis. Like any daughter, I will give anything for my mother to be as comfortable as possible as she goes through the worst of her health.
Fundraising Team
- Helen Mary Barrameda
- Campaign Owner
- Maria Ansay Barrameda
- Logistics Manager
Donors
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 28, 2016
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 27, 2016
- Guest
- Donated on Aug 24, 2016
Stay strong Helen!!!
Mom's 20+ cm Cancerous Mass (Warning: Graphic Photo in this Update)
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 06:49 amHi Everyone, I finally got a chance to get a snapshot of the huge cancerous mass that my mom was carrying. Because of your help, this monstrous thing killing her quickly was taken out of her uterus. Now she stands a chance to have treatment options like chemotherapy. I would. . . . .
Operation Successful
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 12:49 pmThank you so much. Here is my mother in the recovery room yesterday at 6:30am (my old high school classmate happened to be an anesthesiologist so I got this shot from him via Facebook) and back in her hospital room in the afternoon of the same day. Thank you so
Lung Complications
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 10:22 amHello again, everyone! Mom was supposed to have her operation last Friday after almost 2 weeks of waiting in line for a PGH room. However, she failed the pulmonary clearance due to pneumonia. They needed to treat the lung issue for 7 days using antibiotics because she will have cardiac. . . . .
PGH Room... Finally!
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 03:59 amHi Everyone, Yesterday, my mother was finally able to reach the top of the queue! She started at slot #21 ten days ago for the paid option of Philippine General Hospital (I call this the "fast lane" of PGH). Your donations allowed me to save her 6 months of waiting. . . . .
Halting the Drive for the Baby
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 06:50 amI started this fund raising campaign last week for my mom. None of the money goes to my son, because my husband and I have taken that as our responsibility as parents to be. The books for sale and my DSLR camera sale proceeds will go to my son and. . . . .
#21 at PGH Paying Facility, Books for Sale, DSLR Camera for Sale :)
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 06:50 amMy mom is 21st in line for her scheduled operation at PGH. Thanks to your donations, I can now safely have her confined without fear that she will be turned away by the hospital for lack of funds. :) I am also preparing for her subsequent therapy. My stepfather and. . . . .
Update 2: CT Scan and the PGH Queue
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 09:09 amHi again everyone. I spent today transferring the donation to my cousin's bank account. None of the money remains with me. Everything goes to this operation of hers and I do not plan to habitually raise funds. Just this one time because it's a life or death situation if the. . . . .
A Glimmer of Hope
Update posted by Helen Mary Barrameda at 04:01 amThank you so much for helping us. I was forced to have my mom discharged from the hospital (National Kidney Institute) because the Php 300,000 required for her single operation was too expensive. Instead, the doctor encouraged us to transfer her to PGH with two options: charity ward or paying.. . . . .
Donors & Comments
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 28, 2016
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 27, 2016
- Guest
- Donated on Aug 24, 2016
Stay strong Helen!!!
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 24, 2016
God loves you & your family, H!!! Hang in there! Hugggggsssss!
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 24, 2016
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 23, 2016
Found out about this through Jehz's post on G+. I'm sorry ito lang ma-donate ko for now. Stay strong! Praying for you and your mom.
- Guest
- Donated on Aug 21, 2016
- Ada Ligueran
- Donated on Aug 21, 2016
Our prayers are with you and your family Ate Helen. There is nothing that God cannot do. Keep the faith! -- Ada and Johnny
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 21, 2016
- Anonymous
- Donated on Aug 20, 2016
Hope this helps :) God Bless