Dear friends,
As the Arnel Pineda Foundation Inc. asserts to establish herself, there’s no question her humble beginnings are joined with the generous acts of her donors. The life-changing impact of the Foundation is a reflection of unsparing contribution to which the APFi is invariably grateful. And as with cases such as Dante Riello, your financial support has enabled us to transform life-threatening to life-affirming. In this manner, I would like to share with you the sad straits of a 3-year-old boy.
In a most recent visit to the National Children’s Hospital in Quezon City, Philippines, Cherry Pineda, Tessang and the APFi came across one John Norly Araya, and in the natural order of things, were emotioned on contact. Per the Department of Pediatrics of St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City, John Araya has been clinically diagnosed with Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcoma on the left side of the nose and orbit. The diagnosis is the same cancer that Dante Riello suffers. And after the long association of the boy who continues to battle the most indescribable affects of Embryonal Rhabdomyosarcomo, APFi now has hopeful precedence to help remedy what Dante Riello has continued to persevere. Upon my own observation, the enlargement of John Araya’s tumor is unsubtly apparent. The growth is supplement to episodes of bleeding and appears to have infected the entire left side of the face. John is currently on PEG, or Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy tube (PEG tube) placed into his stomach as a means of feeding, as well as a Tracheostomy to provide an airway for breathing. The first plan of management is for the admission of Chemotherapy.
With every passing day comes accelerated growth, bleeding, infection, and disfigurement. I stood and observed John’s father, Norly Araya, in his wakefulness and worry has he sets in faithful vigil by his son’s bedside. It is heartbreaking in the least but we are confident that, with your extended generosity, we can turn despair into promise. To help John overcome this life-threatening disease, the APFI welcome all levels of donation. Thank you for your support and for your desire to help bring John Araya home.
