MarieChris
I am 9 years old
MarieCris came to us with her sister, carrying a prescription note for an anti-allergy drug with the words 'pediatric cardiologist' scribbled on it. She had no idea where to turn. MarieCris suffers from congenital heart disease and is extremely thin. Her condition, Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), should have been diagnosed at birth and operated on by the time she was between 6 and 12 months old. We are currently waiting for her to receive heart surgery. In the meantime, we are helping her enroll in health insurance and assisting her family with the costs of medical examinations, transportation, medications, and high-caloric milk.
You can read part of her journey below, as narrated by her sister.
Hello, my name is Maria Cristina, and I am the sister of MarieCris, who is 9 years old. MarieCris has been diagnosed with a heart condition that requires surgery, but unfortunately, we do not have the money to pay for the operation.
We initially sought help from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). There, MarieCris, my mother, and my other brother were all given X-rays. While my mother and brother's results were normal, MarieCris's X-ray showed signs of possible pneumonia. Following this, Doc San advised us to visit the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) for a more thorough examination to determine what was wrong with MarieCris’s heart.
We traveled to PGH, where the doctor examined MarieCris and asked us several questions, including why it took so long to discover her heart condition she has had ever since she was born. After listening to her heart, the doctor noted an unusual sound and prescribed two types of vitamins for MarieCris. We were then given an appointment to return to PGH for a follow-up at the Pediatric Cardiology Clinic.
Before our return to PGH, my mother registered with PhilHealth, in case any future medical expenses could be covered. We were informed that the PhilHealth ID would take a month or more to arrive. After completing the registration, we returned home to rest and prepared for our next visit to PGH.
On our second visit to PGH, we waited for many hours before MarieCris’s name was called. In the Pediatric Cardiology room, the doctor listened to her heart again and asked us more questions. After this, we were informed that we needed to stay at the hospital as further tests were required. The doctor handed us a schedule for an echocardiogram (echo) to examine MarieCris’s heart more closely.
After waiting again for a long time, the echo was performed, and it revealed that MarieCris has Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA), meaning there is an extra vein in her heart. The doctor explained that this condition is causing her heart to enlarge, and surgery is necessary to correct it. We were given a prescription for medication to start treatment and instructed to return on July 1 for a follow-up echo to check for any additional issues, such as a hole in the heart.
The cost for the tissue paper and the echo results was 750 pesos. We are now waiting for the hospital to call for MarieCris’s operation and hope for the best outcome.
