Nineteen-year-old Antonette C. Lomong-oy, a second year Nursing student at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College-Bontoc Campus, was scheduled for a kidney transplant last Dec. 13, 2020 at the Cordillera Hospital of the Divine Grace in La Trinidad, Benguet. Alfa, Antonette’s mom, is the donor.
Due to unforeseen circumstances and financial constraints, the operation was rescheduled after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
As per the latest phone conversation with Antonette’s mom, they were admitted to the hospital on Jan. 11. The kidney transplant procedure is scheduled for Jan. 17. The kidney transplant procedure costs P1.5 million.
Antonette has been undergoing hemodialysis for almost three months, and it has not been easy. For now, Antonette’s family needs P600,000 for the kidney transplant procedure to push through, and thus they are knocking on kind hearts for donations.
For those who wish to donate any amount, they may deposit their donation to Land Bank savings account name Antoinette Lomong-oy, with account number 1046245683.
Donors may also hand over their donations to Jodesca Lumiwes Masilian, with cell phone number 0926-907-2026 and Facebook account Jodesca Lumiwes Masilian. Donations may also be sent to GCash account Jodesca Masilian 0926-907-2026.
For transparency, all donations will be posted on Masilian’s FB account. The money to be collected will be turned over to Antonette’s family before they will be discharged from the hospital.
Antonette of Caneo, Bontoc, Mountain Province is the firstborn of James Lomong-oy and Alfa Cabrad Lomong-oy, who are both laborers. She just celebrated her 19th birthday on Dec. 21, 2020.
She dreams of becoming a nurse, which befits her jovial personality.
In 2019, Antonette experienced dizziness and hypertension. At a young age, she had no choice but to take maintenance medicines for hypertension.
In her first year in college, her dizziness and hypertension became frequent prompting her family to seek medical attention at the Luis Hora Memorial Regional Hospital.
Antonette was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease secondary to chronic glomerulonephritis and hypertension. As per doctor’s advice, a kidney transplant is the best option while she is young, and this would give her a better quality of life and better chances of survival.
Despite the financial constraints the family is facing, they decided to follow the doctor’s advice. The plan includes initiation of hemodialysis, kidney transplant workup for the patient and the donor, and finally, a kidney transplant.
The kidney transplant procedure costs P1.5 million. The PhilHealth shall shoulder P600,000 under its Z Package.
Even with PhilHealth, Antonette’s Family needs to prepare P900,000 for the kidney transplant procedure.
Some kind-hearted individuals and groups gave financial donations and organized fund-raising activities and events for Antonette.
Her mother has been counting down the days and weeks until she can donate one of her kidneys and help her daughter. To Alfa, it is her Christmas and birthday gift to her daughter. It came without hesitation. It will not come wrapped in a box. Rather, it is surrounded by love, a love of a selfless mother. – Alpine L. Killa
April 26, 2024
