I want to help my mother pull through and get better

Good day everyone,

I am Kathleen Pletado, eldest child of Josephine Pletado. My family is living in Batangas City, Philippines.

My mother was recently rushed to the hospital due to non stop vomiting and very high blood pressure (200/110). She was then admitted to the private hospital nearest to our home since we do not own a vehicle and only hired a tricycle to rush our mother there. Laboratory tests were done to her and the doctors found out that her creatinine level is very high and her sodium and potassium levels were low and in the borderline leading to her being diagnosed with end-stage renal disease. Back in 2009, she was diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus and in 2016, underwent pancreatectomy (surgical removal of part of pancreas due to a cyst) leading to her dependency on insulin injection.

Given the circumstances, she is now required to undergo regular hemodialysis to avoid further complications. She is also now legally blind due to tractional retinal detachment and cataract on both eyes, caused by diabetic retinopathy. She is also unable to move properly on her own and constantly needs assistance in walking and standing because she is losing balance and is getting weak and numb on both her legs and feet due to diabetic neuropathy. As it is, her current condition and the high level of her creatinine is caused by diabetic nephropathy.

She is scheduled to undergo AVF (arteriovenous fistula) creation within first week this April. In the meantime, she does her hemodialysis through an IJ catheter just below her ear.

The doctors have not yet advised when she can be discharged from the hospital due to her condition and our bills have been continuously piling up. My father is a security officer and is the only provider in our family as my sister and I are both still in school. We are going through a very rough patch right now as my father is also catching sickness due to too much fatigue and stress and my sister, who is currently the one with my mother to take care of her, has been absent from her school for almost a week now. As for me, I am currently on my graduating year in college and am undergoing on-the-job training.

My mother has been hospitalized twice last year and her sodium and potassium levels constantly fluctuate all throughout while her creatinine level continuously increase. My family was not able to fully recover financially and has been accumulating debts ever since. We have been constantly asking the government officials and other non-government organizations that provide medical assistance to aid us in our dues for payment but those financial assistance and healthcare benefits (Philhealth) can only help to a certain extent.

I am now humbly asking from your good hearts to help us get through this difficulty we are facing. I really want my mother to get better and eventually get over these health conditions. My family has been constantly worried that we will not be able to sustain the expenses of regular dialysis and medication, as well as pay off our piling debts. We are also doing our best to apply for financial support from other charitable institutions and government agencies.

I am hoping to reach your hearts with my story and that eventually get help from you for the betterment of my mother's condition. My family and I are sincerely and will be forever grateful to everyone that will help us. This will certainly go a long way and I would be happy if you could share this to other online forums or platforms. Thank you very much and stay safe!