Photo Credit: www.theportlandhospital.com
I create this blog to recognize the great favor that my sister and the whole family received primarily from God Almighty and secondarily from Mindanao Medical Center about two years ago. My sister @blessed-charm was among the lucky few who underwent FREE open heart surgery at the said hospital on February 2014.
I also want many people know, through this blog, that if they or others they love have been suffering from a heart ailment for a long time, there is still hope for them. My whole family has been praying so hard every night for a solution to our long-time problem, which not only put the life of my sister in jeopardy from time to time but also subjected the entire family to deep emotional and financial burdens.
After more than five years of waiting, our supplication was finally answered, and God’s answer was an open heart surgery that would change our sister’s life for good. We knew the danger of such kind of surgery, but our sister had suffered long enough and we wanted to end her misery once and for all. With God’s mercy, the procedure was a success, giving my sister respite from all the pain after 15 years of suffering.
This video shows photos taken before and after the operation.
So once again, I extend my deepest gratitude to the staff, doctors and nurses at the Mindanao Heart Center, Davao City, for making my sister's operation possible. My gratefulness also goes to the kind and compassionate surgeons of the medical mission group from Michigan, USA, who rendered their expertise to needy heart patients in Mindanao free of charge.
Without their expert hands, my sister would not have been able to enjoy life once more. I and my family are forever indebted to all of you. We would never forget your kindness for as long as we live! I could never imagine my sister getting back to her old routine, handing with her friends and even planning to get married as she does at this point in time!
A Sneak Peek into Mindanao Heart Center
After its inauguration on February 14, 2007, the Mindanao Heart Center opened its doors not only to well-off individuals but also to indigent people in Mindanao.
Since then, patients needing medical care, including heart surgery, don't need to go to Manila to get their needed services.
The facility is staffed with medical professionals having the expertise to handle different heart ailments, making it at par with the level of standard for heart services offered at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.
Thus quality heart care is within reach for all Mindanaoans, as what the inhabitants of Mindanao are fondly called.
With the advent of the medical mission group from the United States, poor people in Mindanao with heart problems can avail themselves of free open heart surgery directly from the heart experts coming from the US.
This could mean around P200,000 savings in operation cost. My sister was among the lucky recipients of this surgery after passing the screening process and complying with all the requirements. I think the main yardstick to qualifying in the free operation is proof of indigence.
Reference: Mindanews. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
P420,150 Saved in the Operation
We are very, very poor, so opting for surgery had been far from our consideration. Luckily, with God's guidance, we found out that Mindanao Heart Center offers free heart operation each year every time a medical mission group from America visits Davao City to render the Operation Care Abroad (OCA).
Photo Credit: Mine
The savings we realized from this procedure was so huge. We couldn't have afforded the operation if we had to pay all the expenses out of pocket! Here is the breakdown of the cost that was waived:
- P95,000 – price of mitral valve
- P100,000 – cost of operation
- P225,150 – food and lodging fee
Total Savings = P420,150
Our only contribution was the provision of the required amount of blood from donors and blood bank and the drugs not available in the hospital. Of course, my sister's PhilHealth Insurance also played a large part in reducing our expenses.
Photo Credit: www.noblefoundation.co.in
Finding Blood Is Very Difficult!
Blood is life. That is why so many people are in search for it every single day in the hopes of extending the lives of their loved ones. I belong to this herd of people because I was tasked to handle this challenging responsibility days and hours before the scheduled operation.
I could not afford to relax or remiss on my obligation because the life of my sister was on the line. The doctor's directive was final: no blood, no operation. Besides, the operation was free, and our contribution was very minimal.
With the limited supply of blood available in blood banks and hospitals, I had the feeling that money was useless when time was of the essence!
No matter how hard you might supplicate, it won't change a thing. There was no supply, unless you knew someone inside the blood bank.
Luckily, we had a good friend with a connection inside the blood bank and he did his best to help us.
He contacted the blood donors to allow us to use their blood in exchange for a small fee, and they willingly conceded.
Of course, the best solution is to find blood donors among your family, relatives and friends.
You need more people than necessary because not all potential donors might qualify for a number of reasons, as you will see later. If direct drawing of blood from the donors you presented does not generate enough amount of blood, this is the time to use your connection to find blood in blood banks. Having money is not a guarantee that you can get blood as you please.
Photo Credit: scraps.oriyaonline.com
Photo Credit: kscj.com
Who Are Qualified to Donate Blood?
We have learned a lot from our experience concerning the operation of my sister. The three days leading to her operation were the most difficult and tiring times we have encountered.
Those three days were spent hunting for five bags of blood needed in her operation. It was a do-or-die situation. We had to gather the required amount of blood, or else lose yet another chance to have the heart procedure performed to restore her life back to normal.
We initially took five people who are of A positive blood type to Davao City. Out of the five, three candidates did not pass. One potential donor had a prior operation in his head and a clearance from his physician must be secured first before he would be allowed to donate blood. We figured out that seeking clearance could take some time, so we put down the possibility.
The second candidate who failed was a 17-year-old girl. She was declined because she was a minor and we haven't secured a parent's consent beforehand.
Again, we forgo the idea because the condition of their family was tumultuous at the time.
The third potential donor who did not qualify to donate blood was a mother of one daughter. She is about 45 years old and of the right weight.
However, upon examination, she was found to have high blood pressure, so she was not allowed to donate blood.
From this experience, we realized how hard it is to find donors for blood transfusion. Prior operation, being minor and hypertension are enough grounds to disqualify a potential donor. In addition to these, there are other factors to be considered, including the following:
- A person who sleeps late the night before the appointed day of blood collection or wakes up too early on the said day might not qualify to donate blood.
- Someone who drinks liquor or any alcoholic beverage the night before the blood collection is not qualified to donate.
- An individual whose blood is found to have a disease that might be transmitted through blood transfusion may not qualify.
These are just some of the things that I learn firsthand from my experience while frantically doing my best to come up with five bags of blood to take to Davao City. I hope this post can help readers looking for this type of information.
Photo Credit: zetco.pk
How to Handle Blood the Right Way?
I would like to share my experience regarding how I took the bags of blood to Davao City for my sister's operation. This is to give you an idea on how to handle blood when you or someone you know has to do it sometime in the future. However, I don't wish that you have to do it at some point because that would mean a member of your family is in deep trouble. :)
When you buy bags of blood from a blood bank, keep in mind that this precious thing is so delicate, thus needing special care and handling. Here is how you should approach the process of collecting blood and taking it to the hospital:
#1. Make sure you present your blood request form signed by your physician before the blood bank in-charge to verify that your need for blood is legitimate. Without such form, getting blood is next to impossible.
#2. Bring with you a clean ice box where you will put the blood. Make sure it is clean; otherwise, you will be denied of your purchase.
#3. Buy some pieces of ice, in plastic bags, and put them inside the ice box.
#4. Let the in-charge handle the placement of the blood and the sealing of the box.
#5. Once you receive the blood, deliver it without delay, because blood needs to be stored in a suitable environment to keep it fresh and fit for use. Otherwise, the blood will expire and lose its efficacy. Remember, the shelf life of blood is so short.
#6. While en route to the hospital, make sure the blood is safe from vibration, which can damage the blood.
#7. When you reach your destination, deposit the blood immediately to the custodian tasked to handle blood.
Now you have a good idea on how to handle blood properly for use in an operation. Perhaps you have appreciated how delicate this precious thing is that you should protect it with all your might because the life of someone dear to you hinges on it.
Photo Credit: Mine
My Sister Is Back to Normal
Now my sister is living a normal life again, but it’s not the same as it was before the ailment. She was admitted on January 15, 2014 and she was discharged on February 7, 2014, so it means she stayed at the hospital for 21 days.
Her 15 years of suffering was over. We were able to rest from all the worries and financial strain caused by her condition. She is now living a happy life, but we keep her in close supervision while giving her some freedom to move around because the life she is enjoying now is her second and it should be used to please the one who owns it.
Learn more about Mindanao Heart Center in this video.
