Let’s Save Ghellie

This is her story of survival...

Ghellie Clodeen is just 24 years old. So young, so very pretty, full of hope for the future. But the past seemed bent on destroying her. She left an abusive family--physically and psychologically harmed by both parents, she ran away and lived for a while in the streets of Manila. She braved the cold nights sleeping on the sidewalk, and park benches, with rain, insects, and occasional harassment by evil strangers, notwithstanding.

Until some kind people offered help that brought her back to her feet again. She found work as part-time model, she earned playing extra or reliever for most of the time, earning just 2K to 3K per appearance, barely enough to pay the bills and got her short on food and sustenance.

Then work got scarce and she survived on drinking coffee and instant noodles for weeks. Despite her good looks and many indecent proposals from rich dirty old men to bail her out of misery, she ignored all that to live the life of a pauper. She was frugal, simple, and lived alone until illness finally gave her some company.

Friends have abandoned her in her time of need. Without steady income, she would make calls that went unanswered, a few ones she approached for loans gave her only unkind words, and she kept herself distant to family and relatives who connived to condemn her for walking away....so she was all alone. And that was the lowest point in her life when I met her.

Dengue first came to try to take her soul away, a month ago. She had contracted it the second time now, after living in a slum area with a dingy mosquito infested "estero" at the back of her house. She had no choice but to live there because rent was cheap, the one she can afford with her meager earnings. Her platelet went down to 80 at one point, and she bled profusely...but timely intervention and transfusions saved her life...

After a week she got a call to work as a model in a car show...but again fate had other plans. She wasn't strong yet, but she tried to work to pay for the bills and loans she owed me. She would often faint while at work. Finally after three days at the car show she passed out, vomited profusely, and had to be taken to the hospital...but she prefered the nearby clinic because she had no money for hospitalization.

Then the grim discovery....during examination she was diagnosed with myoma on her uterus. It has already grown to 5 cm in size which is considered big enough to press uncomfortably on her right ureter. Her menstruation has been irregular and bloody lately. She has suffered heavy bleeding in the past two months, which required blood transfusions. Pain is excruciating and unbearable each time. She has become weak and lost a lot of weight. Other weaknesses started surfacing. Potassium deficiency, iron deficiency, muscle spasms in her crooked spine...her asthma attacks...years of built-up illnesses she simply ignored now orchestrating to bring her down. Then , finally MRI and CTscan images revealed a horrific damage to both her kidneys which are riddled with stones-fruit of her months-long sustenance on instant noodles which are high in salt, and synthetic ingredients that are now clinging to the filters like undisolved toxins.

Her OB advised surgery in the near future to remove the growing tumor on her uterus and the cost could run up to more than hundred thousand pesos, medications not counting... And her kidneys need rehabilitation too, and a lifetime of maintenance.

I told her I could no longer afford to help because I have a family to support and I can only do so much.

Loss of work, mounting debts and lack of friends and family to help her emotionally and financially through this, had led her to slash her wrist two weeks ago. Fortunately her helper and friend Auring who was by her side had alerted me so she was taken to the hospital and saved again, for the second time.

I do not know if there would be a third time.

Prayers are aplenty, but monetary help is depleting. I tried to help her the best I could but I can't do it alone. I appeal to some Good Samaritans and kindred souls out there to lend a helping hand. Let us save a beautiful soul. Let her survive and be a testament of the triumph of the human spirit and all that is good in our hearts.

Let us help Ghellie restore her faith in herself, in humanity and in God. Your donations can save and extend her life. A third and last time perhaps.