It started with a lump about the last week of June. Then the pain went away with mefenamic acid around last week of June. By the 2nd week of July. He felt the lump is growing and he’s having persistent pain. So we went to the doctor and he was put into 7 days of antibiotic. But after 7 days, it did not go away. He said he felt like it was growing. His doctors requested for a ct scan, of the neck. A biopsy was then done which confirmed the diagnosis of an invasive squamous carcinoma of the tongue.

On the night of August 27, 2018 , ie, 2 days before his scheduled Chemotherapy, his mouth bled profusely and blood clots went out of his mouth. We brought him in the emergency room and was later confined.
He was treated for the bleeding and the infection that was detected in his blood test. Then the doctor noticed that Rafi had difficulty breathing and was very weak, because he had been drinking only vegetable juice and water for about 3 weeks. His tongue grew so big such that his breathing and swallowing was deeply affected.
Surgeries followed where a tube was put in his throat ( Tracheostomy) and into his stomach ( Gastrostomy / G Tube)

He is a good son .. a good person all-in-all. Very helpful, loving and dependable. He is funny and thoughtful...

Raphael is really passionate in fighting this terrible disease. He researches thoroughly about cancer, his own type of cancer and how to defeat it. He even went on fasting, water fasting and vegetable juicing after his diagnosis. He now plans to become a health care practioner, who helps people prevent and defeat their cancer as soon as he is already well. The doctors are positive that with his attitude and determination he has a great chance to defeat the cancer.


Due to several tests, scans, laboratories and surgeries, our financial capability is so depleted already. We are deeply in debt and there are more procedures and more surgeries to come.

The doctors plan to put him into radiotherapy with chemotherapy combined to target the tumors and cancer cells more aggressively. After about 7 weeks of continuous radiotherapy coupled with 3 cycles of chemotherapy, another set of scans, tests and laboratories will be done. If everything is according to their expected results, a major surgery will be undertaken to repair the damage in Rafi’s tongue. All of the above procedures will entail us to long hospital stays.

Me and my husband are hard working individuals. Throughout our married life we had been prudent, near to utmost frugality in our way of living. But our son's hospital bills drained our medical insurance, financial resources and savings so fast that we needed to loan money from institutions, families and friends.

The upcoming procedures will need more money to ensure continuous treatment and success in totally defeating the aggressive cancer cells.

The doctors said, Rafi’s cancer is still curable. But we have to act fast and aggressively treat him so he may be able to realize his dreams of becoming a health care practitioner who would help other people prevent and defeat cancer. He said it will be his lifetime mission.

We are praying and asking you to please donate any amount that you can contribute. We had been praying hard and thought about this a million times before we were able to muster our courage to ask for financial help. But as the bills piled up we do realize, we absolutely need help to continue fighting the cancer that deeply affected our son’s life and even want to consume it.

With all our hearts ...

Thank you so much in advance, we will be grateful forever.. and we pray .. may God bless you a hundred times more.. God bless us all

Sincerely yours,
Angeles Family
Joel , Caroline, Miguel (twin brother) and Raphael