Leukemia-stricken boy loses fight, dies

When her blind son told her that he saw a “very bright light,” Marymel Reyes knew it was a sign that her leukemia-stricken son Rein would soon leave her. It was.

Rein Reyes, 9, died yesterday after a year’s battle with acute myloglenous-leukemia at

the Ospital ng Makati while he and his family were praying the rosary at around 10 a.m.

The leukemia rendered Rein blind when his two eyes almost popped out due to the two cysts in his head.

“Bago po namatay si Rein, sinabihanan niya ako na nakakita siya ng sobrang maliwanag na ilaw. Sabi po niya ay sinusundo na siya ng Diyos .(The day before he died, Rein told me he saw a bright light. He said he was being fetched by God.),” Marymel told the Manila Bulletin.

Touched by his plight, Rein was helped by many Good Samaritans, including former Vice President Jejomar Binay due to the family’s incapability of providing him with medical treatment. Rein’s father is a tricycle driver while his mother is a housewife.

Marymel said that her son fought a good fight even when he was feeling so weak because of chemotherapy.

“Lumalaban po si Rein pero nung mga nakaraang araw ay sinasabi niyang pagod na siya. (Rein was fighting but these past few days he said he was already tired),” she added.

But before he died, Rein told his elder sister to look after their parents.

On December 17, Rein was brought home after the doctor said that he was stronger after his chemotherapy at the Ospital ng Makati.

Marymel said Rein was so happy to go home. She said that he missed his siblings and relatives after being confined in the hospital for months.

Rein was able to spend Christmas and New Year with his family. He was so full of life and was so happy, Marymel recalled.

“On Christmas day, he went to see our relatives and he told me that he missed them so much,” Marymel said.

She said Rein also went to his old school to attend his class’ Christmas party. “Many of his classmates were so happy to see him strong again.”

But on February 22, Rein was again confined at the hospital. Marymel said they were expecting Rein to get better but complications arose and the doctors told them they could do nothing more.

“Only a miracle can help him,” the doctors said.

‘Good strangers’ “They don’t know us, but they helped Rein-they are good strangers. These people were also the reason why Rein fought his rare disease,” Marymel said.

She said Rein was very thankful to the people whom he never met but wholeheartedly helped him in his battle.

Marymel said she will be forever thankful to all those people who helped Rein when they read his story in the Manila Bulletin.

“I will always be thankful to them. They barely knew us but they still helped us. I am also very thankful to former VP Binay for his generosity,” she said.

“I would also like to thank the Binay family for always helping us. They never abandoned us. They helped Rein more than anyone else,” Maymel said between sobs.

Marymel also thanked the Manila Bulletin for publishing his son’s plight.

“I don’t know how to repay all the people who helped us… But I will always pray for them,” she said.

The funeral of Rein will be at a chapel near their house in Barangay Potrero, Malabon.