• Some of leukemia's symptoms are: swollen lymph nodes that usually don't hurt, fevers or night sweats, frequent infections, feeling weak or tired, bleeding and bruising easily, swelling or discomfort in the abdomen, weight loss and pain in the bones or joints.

Annabelle and Rundolph Jarandilla of Barotac Viejo, Iloilo raised seven healthy children by giving emphasis on eating vegetables.

Thus, the couple were surprised when on April this year, their youngest child, RJ who is turning three years old this July 28, was diagnosed with leukemia.

As of press time, the young patient is bed-ridden for fever and cough at the isolation room of the Pedia Ward of Western Visayas Medical Center. The said ward is filled with sick children and guardians who care for them. Outside of the ward, some guardians sleep on cardboards laid out on the floor. The Jarandillas have the isolation room for themselves while waiting for RJ's chemotherapy session.

"It all started with a fever and knee pains. He had difficulty walking," said Annabelle while patiently fanning RJ who was sweating despite the aircon. "His playmate pushed him, so we thought it was because of that. We brought him to the 'hilot'," she added.

She said that RJ got well but on the first week of March, his fever recurred, he had diarrhea and lost his appetite for eating. A week later, he became paler.

A CBC (complete blood count) test showed that he had low hemoglobin, so the doctor advised for a blood transfusion and a PBS test, the results of which, yielded negative.

Another round of CBC and PBS test was done after RJ exhibited lesions in different parts of his body, and still, they yielded negative results.

All these because the hospitals in Banate and Barotac Viejo where the tests were done, did not have the modern equipment to determine RJ's illness, according to Annabelle.

So, upon prodding from their physician, the couple decided to bring RJ to Iloilo and had his CBC, PBS and bone marrow tests. The results showed that he has leukemia.

"When they told me my son has leukemia, I felt scared and hopeless. There wasn't a day that I did not cry," Annabelle said.

Leukemia is a cancer of the blood. According to Medicinet.net, some of its symptoms are: swollen lymph nodes that usually don't hurt (especially lymph nodes in the neck or armpit), fevers or night sweats, frequent infections, feeling weak or tired, bleeding and bruising easily (bleeding gums, purplish patches in the skin, or tiny red spots under the skin), swelling or discomfort in the abdomen (from a swollen spleen or liver), weight loss for no known reason and pain in the bones or joints.

RJ's doctor, Dr. Joselito Caso said that he has 80 to 90 percent chance of surviving, and this gave his parents hope. However, when the doctor told them that RJ has to go through chemotherapy, the worries started again.

"Where will we get the money to pay for his treatment? I questioned why this has to happen to him at this age? Why didn't God get him while he was still just a newborn? she said, teary-eyed. "So I prayed fervently, hoping that there will be a person who will help us," she added.

Dr. Caso, who happens to be a member of the Mga Kaibigan ng mga Kabataang May Kanser (KKK), a non-profit organization that finances the chemotherapy treatment of selected indigent Ilonggo kids, endorsed RJ's case to the group. Now, RJ is one of the KKK's beneficiaries.

"I am glad that KKK is now taking care of my child's chemotherapy expenses," she said.

But admittedly, this is not enough because the Jarandillas have other medical expenses to consider.

"I am a fish vendor while my husband is a construction worker. Our income is not enough to take care of our family, especially now that we have a sick child," Annabelle said.

Rundolph, the husband said, "Our two children are now with my brother and sister in Manila because we can no longer afford to care for them. We don't want our kids to be away, but what can we do? We have to make sacrifices."

Their eldest child is the one taking care of her younger siblings while the couple and RJ are at the hospital.

"RJ is a naturally energetic boy. He loves to eat, especially vegetables. He's very loving, too. Before he got sick, everytime I go home, he would joyfully meet me. I hope and pray that more kind-hearted souls would help extend RJ's life because he's such a sweet boy," Annabelle concluded.*