Twelve-year-old cancer victim Mark Anthony Viray, a Baguio boy who dreams of one day becoming a pilot, is left with no funds to restart his chemotherapy against Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 

Ernesto, his 50-year old dad who drives a cab, last week had to use P13,000  for the treatment to pay the cost of two CT scans—on the chest and abdomen. Together with a previous test on the neck—where a lump reappeared late January—the scans were needed to determine whether cancer cells had not spread from his lymph nodes to other parts of the body.

The good news is that the mutant cells remained contained. “Normal ang findings,” Ernesto said in a text after conferring with the lab technicians. The result will guide the boy’s doctors, who offered their services pro bono, in preparing his second, six-round chemotherapy treatment, which must begin as soon as possible to improve his chances for recovery.

The bad news is that the fund, the la-test sent by Shoshin Kinderhilfe, a small humanitarian foundation in Germany, had been used up. Shoshin (which means Beginner’s Mind), had been at the boy’s corner since he began his bout against the big C two years ago.

Former world traditional karate champion Julian Chees, a native of Maligcong, Mt. Province who founded Shoshin with his students in southern Germany, wondered if other Samaritans can also come to the boy’s rescue.

“We hope there will be takers soon, to keep alive this boy’s dream of growing up and one day flying a plane,” Chees said. “We hope his courage and determination to win his fight will inspire us all to reach out to him.”

Donors may ring up Ernesto at cell phone number 0916-856-0455 or course their support to DPS punong barangay Narcisa Laguitan or kagawad Boying de Guzman.

Three more patients, this time kidney failure victims, also pleaded for help to maintain their twice-a-week hemodialysis sessions which will be for a lifetime.

Twenty nine-year-old Marco Bumacas, single and unemployed, of 151 Purok 4, Lower Quirino Hill, has been in dialysis since the other year at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center. He may be  contacted at cell phone number 0918-356-6410.

Tommy Dannang, an employee at the Regional Trial Court here, has drained all his savings and still has to take care of two kids. Donors may ring up lawyer Cris Dona-al at 09396417682.

Benita Dalapos, 49, and a farmer’s wife from the remote town of San Emilio, Ilocos Sur, has been on dialysis since last month in San Fernando, La Union. Her sister, Ruth Umangil, recently came up to Baguio looking for help, which they got from Shoshin, Other donors can call Ruth at 0906-431-4743.

Shoshin last week also paid for one dialysis session each for Bumacas and Dannang at the BGHMC.

“Shoshin can only do so much and we hope others will sponsor one session for any of these patients,” Chees said.