Yum’s Lupus Survival Fund

Yum is a 33-yr single mom to a teenaged daughter. She has been diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) or Lupus when she was still 17 years old and studying for college degree. She has been batting the disease since then and has been quite successful in doing so, even giving birth to her daughter, which in most cases is considered as a high risk pregnancy. She also persevered to graduate and get her diploma as a graduate of BS Applied Mathematics, major in Operations Research from University of the Philippines Mindanao. She persevered, she worked hard, and she was dedicated in her finishing her studies, and these were also what she brought to work once she graduated and moved from Davao to Manila for her job.

Working hard for her family finally took its toll, she was diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis last 2012, her kidneys are now affected by /lupus, when before it was just more of a skin condition. It started to go downhill from there and since then there was no year that she wasn’t admitted or confined in the hospital.

Then came 2016. A lot happened that year. Anxiety and depression took over although she wasn't formally diagnosed. But her doctor attributed it to psychological reasons thus her stress levels are high, and lupus flares tend to happen more when stressed. She was ordered by the doctor to work from home. She became unemployed and due to all of these, she decided to come home to her hometown, Iloilo, where she can rest and be her normal self again.

It was way too late. Unemployed, she wasn’t able to visit any doctor. All of these culminated to her spending her Christmas and New Year 2016 in pain.

Last Jan 3, she was rushed to the ER of Iloilo Mission Hospital. She stayed confined for 18 days, and was released. However, a week after her release, complications and infection got the better of her. She was again rushed to the ER of West Visayas State University Medical Center. That was Jan 29 and until now she is still admitted.

She had to undergo emergency dialysis until March, needing it 3x a week. They thought it was getting better but then, there is this area in her left flank where excess fluid is dripping out of her got so infected that even antibiotics are no longer working, thus she had to have it surgically removed. This then added to her expenses.

Unemployed, with no means of earning for now, her family not being able to cope with all the expenses as they have already spent more than half a million pesos, they no longer know where to turn to. They have exhausted all possible options even those that are funded by government. This is one of the reasons why we are appealing for your assistance, to be able to pay hospital bills, continue treatments and maintain medications, especially on the treatment for her kidneys and her Lupus.

Lupus is not an easy disease to treat, it takes the whole lifetime to treat it. There is however a chance for it to go into remission and Lupus warriors can live a normal life. This is with consistent and continuous care.

Right now, Yum is getting better. Dialysis has been stopped. Her wound is slowly healing. She has been given the go signal to finally go home. This was early March. It's now Mar 29 but still she is in the hospital. Her hospital bills and doctor's fees are increasing each day. The amount they collect and the debts they continue to collect cannot cover all such that she can go home.

The goal right now then is to collect the amount needed to pay off in full all bills (the hospital and doctors did not agree to promissory notes, installments, collateral, and other options). Y um can only go home if everything is paid for. The amount for this is reaching 300K PhP already counting immediate maintenance needs once she has gone home. We have collected 1/3 of the amount but we need more, and we are hoping that we will not be in the hospital longer than Mar 31.

This is quite an important campaign for me because I believe that Yum has a lot to live for. She has her daughter, her family, her friends. She can and she is worth saving as she has more to offer still in this world.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through. I hope that somehow we have touched your hearts. Every a small amount would be greatly appreciated. God bless you.

If you choose to help offline:

Bank: BPI

Account Name: Ellen May Denate

Account Number: 4169-0737-03