Help Ann Dumaoang fight cancer!

Mary Ann "Ann" Dumaoang, a UPLB '87 alumna and Dept of Agrarian Reform (DAR) employee based in Ifugao Province, arrived in Bethesda, Maryland on May 23, 2017, accompanied by her husband, Artemio "Art", also a UPLB alumnus ('89) and a DAR employee, to participate in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinical trial for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Ann was diagnosed with AML last April 2016 and underwent 5 chemotherapy cycles, which involved 11 confinements of at least 15 days, from April to December 2016 at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Quezon City, Philippines. Her AML went into remission at the end of the treatment, however, by February 2017, it relapsed. Ann was again confined at NKTI from March 1 to May 12, where she received 2 cycles of a different chemotherapeutic drug, Decitabine, before being cleared by her doctors for travel to the NIH Clinical Center.

Ann was admitted as an NIH in-patient on May 25, 2017; after checking her current status, she qualified for the NIH clinical trial. The investigational protocol she will be on involves eight 21-day cycles of Pembrolizumab (a humanized monoclonal antibody) to be given on day 1 of each cycle, and Decitabine to be given on days 8-12, 15-19 of cycles 1, 3, 5 and 7. Succeeding treatments may include a bone marrow transplant. As of June 5, 2017, Ann has received her first dose of Pembrolizumab (day 1 of cycle 1).

In the meantime, the Dumaoangs are renting a room in a private home 2 miles from the NIH campus, since they will be in and out of the NIH Clinical Center at various times of the protocol. It is fortunate that Ann's immunotherapy will be covered by the NIH while she is a clinical trial participant, however, the Dumaoangs have already exhausted a lot of their own resources in the past year. To help cover their living expenses (room rent, transportation, food and supplies) during their stay, we are asking for your financial assistance in supporting them during this very difficult time in their lives. (FYI: Room rent is $150 a week or $600 a month, or $3,600 for 6 months).

(1) U.S. check donations (payable to Artemio L. Dumaoang) may be mailed to: xxxx (see new contact info, as of 8/8/2017)

(2) For donations by credit card or PayPal account, please use the Dumaoangs' GoGetFunding page set up by their daughter, Marda: https://assets.gogetfunding.com/blessed-beyond-amls-curse/ (Please note that credit card processing fees will be applied).

(3) For donations in kind (e.g., food, care packages), please coordinate with Art Dumaoang for the best time to drop off the items at NIH Bldg 10 or at the house (6234 Valley Road, Bethesda, MD 20817). He may be reached at (909) 436-7811 or via email: [email protected]

(4) For donors based in the Philippines, you may deposit your donations in the following bank account:

Land Bank of the Philippines Savings Account No. 0436-139-667 under Joi Mirdanne R. Dumaoang

For inquiries, please feel free to contact us at (63) 928-982-4935 - Marda Dumaoang, or (63)933-282-2508 - OJ Dumaoang.

Thank you!