Help Felix (Jun) Fund His Cancer Treatment (#fightforJun)

Hello. This has been UPDATED to include the latest information about my dad's (Jun) condition.

For those reading this for the first time, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer on August 26, 2021. The preliminary diagnostics showed that the tumor had already reached his portal vein. The plan was for my dad to undergo 3 cycles of an Abraxane-Gemcitabine chemo to shrink the tumor and have it removed by surgery before he undergoes his last 3 chemo cycles.

In February 2022, after his 3rd cycle, my dad had another CT scan and ca19-9 test to see if the tumor had shrunk. A week before his 70th birthday, he got the results back. The scan showed that the tumor had grown bigger, while the ca19-9 test showed a figure of 80,144 (the normal range being up to 37). His oncologist added that some smaller tumors had already been detected in his liver. After that, our family's worst fear was confirmed - the cancer had metastasized and had reached Stage 4.

Because of the metastasis, my dad can no longer have surgery. The treatment goal has also shifted from cancer cure to prevention of further metastasis. The revised (palliative) treatment plan still involves chemotherapy, but his doctor had him switched to a gentler drug combination of FOLFOX.

FOLFOX is locally available and less expensive, but the procedure for administering the drugs requires a 2- to 3-day hospital stay. Again, 1 cycle includes 3 rounds. Each round costs around Php60,000 (¥135,400 / $1,170); so each cycle costs around Php180,000 (¥270,800 / $1,340). Also, in the current treatment plan, my dad will have to continue having chemotherapy for an indefinite period of time.

There just aren't any words to describe how devastated we are. My dad, our family, and everyone who has been supporting us have been hoping for a better outcome. But because the big things right now are out of our control, our family has chosen to focus on what we can still do, and that is to continue supporting my dad in his fight.

One of the things that my dad really needs help with is funding his treatment. His life depends on this. By sending any amount you can give through any of the channels below , you can help us raise the money that will help my dad afford the means to live his life for as long and as normal as possible. You can also help us raise funds by sharing our campaign on your social media.

These past few months, there have been a lot of reaching out and coming together in a show of love and support for my dad. Some of my sister's friends have even been going out of their way to take part in the caregiving narrative that has become a major part of her life. My dad and our family are truly very grateful for the kindness and generosity that everyone has shown. Our family hopes that you'll continue to help us in surrounding my dad with love and support during this time in his life, when he needs our help the most.

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Hello. I’m Kristine Feliciano. Together with my family, I'm raising funds to help cover my dad’s cancer treatment costs.

On August 26, 2021, my dad was diagnosed with Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer and was told that the locally invasive mass had already reached his portal vein. The diagnosis left our family shocked and devastated. It’s cancer. And not just that. It’s pancreatic cancer. Anyone who looks it up will know that its prognosis isn’t good.

But we found hope in the doctors' optimism for my dad’s case. They said that my dad’s strong for his age and someone with his illness. He’s the ideal candidate for treatment. If he gets treated right away, there's a good chance of shrinking the tumor and removing it by surgery.

We all got to work immediately. After having a metal stent placed into his bile duct, my dad was able to start his chemo treatment in October 2021. He's had 2 cycles so far, but he needs at least 6. His treatment plan also involves a major surgery and other procedures.

Two drugs are used for his chemo. The primary drug (Abraxane) is not available in the Philippines (where my dad lives), and needs to be imported from abroad. Importing Abraxane alone costs (US) $5,300 (¥610,072 / Php270,300) per cycle. With the secondary drug (Gemcitabine), hospital and professional fees, medications, etc., we’ve been spending around $7,300 (¥840,288 / Php372,300) per chemo cycle.

Before the treatment, we thought we were looking at a total of around $100,000 (¥11,510,800 / Php5,100,000). However, after seeing the costs firsthand, we realized that we need at least $119,000 (¥13,697,852 / Php6,069,000). Given the amount, it's clear that we won't be able to afford our dad's treatment without help.

The funds ($6,225 / ¥716,547 / Php317,475) we raised from the first campaign (on GoFundMe) helped cover the first chemo cycle. Raising funds for the second cycle, though, had been a struggle. Right now, we still need $94,275 (¥10,851,807 / Php4,808,025) for the remaining chemo cycles, the surgery, etc.

Our family uses our own means for the treatment, but our finances are quickly becoming depleted. We’re constantly worried about running out of funds since it would mean that my dad’s treatment would be discontinued and he would no longer be able to have the surgery that could prolong his life. By sharing our story here, we're hoping that we could reach more people who would help us fund my dad's treatment.

My dad's a kind and generous person. He's the type who would go out of his way to help others. When asked by a Carmelite monastery to help fix their broken sound system, my dad spent days building them a new one instead. My dad also used to put together 100 food packs every Christmas Eve and drive around for hours to distribute them to homeless people. Despite struggling with limited resources at that time, he still managed to share what time, energy, skills, and resources he had to freely provide what someone else needed. My dad is this kind of person, the kind who we all want and need more of in our lives.

Since his diagnosis, my sister would often find our dad quietly crying alone. While trying to comfort him one time, she found out what was really bothering him. He was struggling with feelings of guilt for letting his family share the burden of his illness. Even in his condition, he’s more worried about us. This is the kind of father we hope you will help us save.

For some of you reading this, we are your family or friends. For many others, we are strangers. But for all of you, we are people whose lives you can touch and change.

By sending any amount through any of the channels below that’s most convenient for you, you can help save my dad's life. Any amount will be received with much gratitude.

If it is beyond your means to send financial support but still would like to bring hope to our cause, you can do so by sharing my dad’s story with people who you think could help. You can also spread our campaign on social media (#fightforJun). Your active support of our campaign is just as needed and crucial to its success.

Finally, the past few months have been very difficult for us, but our family has found a lot of strength in the love, prayers, and financial help that people have sent our way. We want to thank you for all of these, as well as for the help and support that we’ll receive in the coming months.

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• Recommended for Residents of Japan: Direct deposit or transfer to Kristine Feliciano's (daughter) Japan Post Bank Account

Bank Name: Japan Post Bank

Branch: Japan Post Bank - Tokushima Central Post Office Branch

Account Holder’s Name: Feliciano Kristine Miranda

Account Number: 1723363

* A direct deposit to the JP Bank account can help donors avoid extra charges or fees for transfers or remittances. I will be the one to send the money to my dad and pay for the remittance charge. This way, all the donations can be used to cover medical expenses.

• Options for Residents of Countries Other than Japan

> Direct deposit or transfer to Felix Feliciano's (patient) bank account

Bank Name: Banco de Oro (BDO)

Branch: Banco de Oro (BDO) - SM CIty North EDSA D Branch

Account Holder’s Name: Felix G. Feliciano Jr.

Account Number: 012710033824

Routing Code: 010530667

> Send or remit through Karen Feliciano's (daughter) GCash account

Receiver: Karen Feliciano

Mobile Number: 0916 257 5865

> Send or remit through Karen Feliciano's PayPal account

Email address: [email protected]