Dialysis patients appeal for repair of fistula

DIALYSIS patients at the Baguio General Hospital are hoping people would reach out to them to give substance to the spirit of sharing this Christmas.

After being told nothing was left in a fun run announced for their benefit, the patients appealed for support to enable them to sustain their dialysis in this season of giving.

Financially squeezed dry by their life-time treatment sessions, many of the patients badly need help to have their fistulas repaired to enable them to continue their dialysis. The doctor creates a fistula on the arm to enable the patient to be connected to the dialysis machine through his or her vein and artery. Repair of a defective fistula costs thousands of pesos, yet it must be done, or else the patient would be poisoned for failure to undergo dialysis.

Despite the financial and medical stress, life remains beautiful and worth fighting for. That’s why Milagros Lacdao, president of the BGHMC Dialysis Patients and Partners Association prepared a list of patients urgently needing repair or new fistula. People who would like to reach out to them with a contribution to help them raise the needed expenses, may extent support by calling them up.

Lacdao can be reached at cellphone (0949)2839713. They may also course their help through nurse Carmen Bumatnong (0915-536-8289) of the dialysis center.

They may call the following patients Elmer Ditan of Abatan, Buguias (0907-991-9767) who needs a new fistula and whose parents

cannot raise funds to sustain his treatment; Princess Arcia Garcia (0910-111-6579), her father, Romeo Garcia, is also a dialysis patient, her mother died, she had been admitted twice at the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital, still fighting and trying to go to school; Roel Cruz (0907-7198595) of Interior Pacdal who owes his doctor who repaired his fistula; Esther Dumangeng (0948-483who 8482), San Carlos Heights, Irisan.

Also needing transport support to bring them to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute in Metro-Manila are Linda Severo of Slaughterhouse, Baguio (0949-302-4952); Arlien Bagyan, Aurora Hill, Baguio, (0909253-4678) and Manuel Bilog, No. 8 Sarok, Camp 7, Baguio (0907-597-7030).