Love for Mama Meann: A Cause to Help Fight Breast Cancer

"Seeing your mom cry is enough to have a weak pulse. Holding your tears, pretending to be strong is even worse."

As I hang up the call with mama today, I realized I have to do SOMETHING.

When the words she uttered to tell me everything's fine were the same words that let me felt she's in pain and still worrying about a lot of things, especially settling the financials to start and keep on with her chemotherapy, I knew I could not just sit here and listen.

Today, I and my family decided to organize a fundraising for our beloved mama in support for her medication as she fights breast cancer.

My mother, MARY ANN MUGAS ESPONILLA, 43, has always been known among her family and friends as God fearing, loving, and caring person. She and papa has been an active member of Couples for Christ (CFC) Eastern Samar for 10 years. In our place, many students would surely know her as a blissful librarian as she dedicated more than 7 years of her life working in St. Magdalena of Canossa Catholic High School, a Diocesan school in our community in Concepcion, Arteche, Eastern Samar, Philippines.

We had a simple yet happy life back then until it was shaken by a devastating news about our mama's health condition.

July 2016 when she first felt pain and discovered a small lump on her right breast. After a series of tests that confirmed the lump was a tumor, she undergone minor surgery through Bulig Kablas Foundation on January 2017. We felt crushed to find out from the results on the biopsy report that mama was already suffering Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Stage II.

On February 2018 she went through a mastectomy that removed her entire right breast. She chose not to start Chemotherapy that time in belief that all the tumors were taken along with her whole breast.

June 2020, she noticed another lump on the upper side of the surgical scar. We wanted to bring her to the hospital and give her the urgent help she needs but because of the Pandemic and hard lockdowns, not to mention that we're living in a far-flung area, it was so hard for us to do so.

It was only on December 2020 that we had the chance to take her to EVRMC. The lump had grown so much in that short span of time. She was referred for a chemotherapy but still because of the situation, with all the consultation being held ONLINE—a once-a-week open online oncology clinic, to be specific—her treatment had to wait.

While we were trying to process everything, the at first an irregular area of firmness only, grew until it protruded and ate through her skin. It is now a bleeding open wound caused by the progressing cancer that urgently needs medical care.

With the grace of God sent as efforts of few amazing people, she finally got scheduled for Chemotherapy. With the current medical protocol handed to us, it would cost an estimate of P83, 000 for her medication alone not to include the other medical expenses for pain reliever, other injections and their living expenses in Tacloban.

No one in the family, has a stable job at the moment and to be honest our resources are now exhausted-- we already sold most of our harvested rice grains, and has availed some loans--but we are able to keep on with some help from good friends and relatives.

I know we are all in difficult times because of the Pandemic, but still we are knocking on your hearts and praying that heavens may touch you to help for additional fund to aid my mama's continuous treatment. Any kind of support that you will give to this campaign will be a big help and will be very much appreciated by our family with the prayers that may God return it to you hundred folds.

"We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers." 1 Thessalonians 1:2

If you wish to extend financial support for this cause, you may give through the DONATE button on the link, or you may also extend your help through the following:

Gcash

Charlotte Ann M. Esponilla

0938-004-6655

Charles Darwin M. Esponilla

Metrobank Savings Account

3903390260343

You may also pm me us in these facebook accounts https://www.facebook.com/charles.esponilla.9 and https://www.facebook.com/charlotteann.esponilla if you prefer other mode of transactions or if you want to ask something.