Please Help My Father Fight For His Life (Stage IV Rectal Cancer)

Hello Everyone! My name is Martina Andrea. I am from Quezon City, Philippines, currently in my 9th grade and turning 15 this year.

I am taking this opportunity to tell the story of my father and his painful battle in life.

My father has put up a brave front against this battle but the rising costs are testing us. So, I made this campaign to help raise funds for his medical treatment.

My dad used to be an Overseas Filipino Worker and a Musician by profession but had to take a back seat when he was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma - a cystic mass or benign tumor formation situated in the lower part of his brain back in 2009. After his cranial surgery and radiation therapy that same year, he rested for 2 years and somehow recuperated from that illness.

Though dad's ableness got affected and his physical actions became limited, he managed to put up a retail store with the help of his mother (my grandmother) in 2012 and since he is a skilled person, he shifted the store into a small scale electronic and repair shop which he thought was more profitable as his means to help provide the needs of our family. Life was hard coping up from the challenges we've gone through (physical, emotional and financial) back then but with our faith in God, we were able to surpass that test until one day of this year, dad got sick again.

On May 2019, dad complained of a severe stomach pain. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, underwent some laboratory tests and was diagnosed with amoebiasis. He was given oral medicines, to be taken within 2 weeks, but the pain and symptoms never subsided. Because he had difficulties in pooping, felt so much pain in his anal area and blood in the stools, he was instructed to see a surgeon.

During my dad's rectal examination, the surgeon felt a huge lump in his rectal area and was advised to undergo a procedure called proctoscopy and rectal biopsy. When the result came out on June 2019 (exactly after almost 10 years from his battle with brain tumor), we learned that my father has a tumor again but this time in his rectum and malignant and that amoebiasis was just a symptom of his real disease. Dad was then advised to undergo a diagnostic examination (whole abdomen ctscan) and a series of laboratory tests. Ctscan result showed on August 2019, that he has a Rectal Cancer with Liver Metastasis (Stage IV).

CT SCAN IMPRESSIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

• CIRCUMFERENTIAL & NODULAR WALL THICKENING IN THE RECTUM WITH MANY VARISIZED PERIRECTAL/PRESACRAL & POSTERIOR PELVIC NODULES/LYMPH NODES & MODERATE PERIRECTAL FAT STRANDINGS, LIKELY MALIGNANT
• FECAL RETENTION
• NON-SPECIFIC SMALL SIZED MESENTRIC & BILATERAL INGUINAL LYMPH NODES
• HYPODENSE RIGHT HEPATIC MASS MAY REPRESENT METASTASIS
• SMALL RENAL CORTICAL CYST
• MINIMAL PROSTATIC CONCRETION
• ATHEROSCLEROTIC DISEASE
• HYPERTROPHIC DEGENARATIVE OSSEUS CHANGES
• DISK BULGES IN THE LOWER LUMBAR SPINE
• SMALL FAT CONTAINING UMBILICAL HERNIA

My father has long been suffering but none of us knew his real pain and none of us understood how sick he really was. We couldn't believe this is happening! He is sick again! His current condition does not allow him to function as he normally would, and has stopped my mother from being able to work to attend dad's health. The most that my mother can only do for now to help survive our family is do freelance online selling for a sales and retail company and accept financial assistance from my grandparents.

Recently, dad was confined in the hospital. Suspicion of colonic obstruction (partial obstruction) due to the enhancing malignant tumor was confirmed as revealed in his recent whole abdomen xray done at the hospital. His attending physician (surgeon) recommended to do a colostomy as part of the treatment (diverting stool away from the bowel - bowel diversion therapy) for my father's safety and in order for him to have a better way of living while preparing himself in doing the rest of his whole treatment. Failure to do so upon full blockage will be fatal for him. Colostomy was in our consideration but the fund for it is still yet to be raised!

Despite the tight budget, my parents went to see and consult an oncologist in a government hospital for the evaluation of dad's case and to know further about the possible treatment he needs to receive (ChemoRadiation). And for safety reasons, dad has been advised by the oncologist to undergo a PET-CT to be able to examine and determine the real-time status of his cancer and to be able to accurately detect where the cancers have actually metastasized or spread. PET-CT is an expensive diagnostic test (ranging from P55,000 & up) but plays an important role in the cancer treatment because through this, a cancer patient will be properly diagnosed and be given the right treatment to beat cancer & prolong life. When dad's PET-CT is done, results will be brought to the oncologist for thorough checking, planning and treatment protocol will then be discussed and elaborated.

The first round of dad's battle with cancer will start with PET-CT, followed by Colostomy, then Chemo & Radiation Therapy (course of treatment will be discussed after PET-CT result). Our family was informed that we need a very big amount for these that's why we keep on praying that God will give us the wisdom to figure out on how to secure the amount needed, the soonest and the quickest.

Seeing my dad in his current situation saddens me a lot and pains my heart so much. As his daughter, I want him to live longer and I would do anything and everything I can, to be able to help save him because he is my dad and I love him very much! He is only 46, relatively young and by God's Will, could live for another 20 or more years and could still possibly do fruitful things if able to get all his treatment as soon as possible.

As of this moment, dad is maintaining pain killers to relieve pains and his nutritional/dietary supplements which are of great help in strengthening his immune system. Both his pain relievers and nutritional supplements sustenance roughly costs P4,500 per week.

We know this journey will surely be a long, a bumpy and an extremely costly ride. Situations sometime are frightening and weakening but for the love of dad, we will put up a good fight. So, on behalf of my family, we humble ourselves and knock on your generous hearts for a small donation so that my father can finish this fight and continue his life. Truly, big things are accomplished by bringing small things together. If number of friends, families, and strangers can contribute a small amount to this cause, we can quickly raise the rest of the money needed for his treatment.

I don't know what dad's destiny will be, but one thing I know: that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. We would also like to appreciate those who are praying for my dad for we know that with our Almighty Father's Power, nothing is impossible!

FACEBOOK FUNDRAISER LINK: SEE STORY...

"PLEASE HELP MY FATHER FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE. "

FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:

BANK ACCOUNT:

BANCO DE ORO (BDO SAVINGS)

ACCOUNT NAME: RENNE BRIONES

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 006450150318

Thank You All and May God Bless You Back, A Million Fold!