Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Juliane Margarette "Chay" Alvarez

PROFILE:
2 years old

DIAGNOSIS:
Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

HER STORY: 

“Siyempre nagulat kami,” says her mother Joanna. “Di naming akalain na ang recurring fever niya ay sintomas na pala ng seryosong sakit. Sabi kasi ng doctor sa Laguna, meron lang siyang primary complex. Pero nung nakita ko ang mga bukol na lumalabas sa mabutong bahagi ng kanyang katawan – sa ulo, sa pisngi – ditto na talaga na-alarma.” Joanna explains.

Chay’s spleen and liver were also enlarged. Immediately, chemotherapy seesions were recommended. This progression would continue until such time Chay will be declared free from the disease. Doctors assured Joanna there was an 80% chance of survival for as long as Chay will complete all necessary medications and procedures. Spending almost 1.3 million pesos in her first year of treatment alone, Chay’s life was almost threatened when a major drug critical in combating cancer cells during an intensive chemo session called L-Asparaginase, caused her severe allergic reactions. She almost died. “Napaka importante pa naman ng gamot nay un. Siempre after a chemo session, bagsak ang resistensya ni Chay. Dumating sa point na kahit may pera ka, pag ganito ang sakit na dumapo sa iyo, mahihirapan ka talaga,” lamented Joanna, a single mother working at a call center, solely taking care of Chay and another sibling.

While chemo sessions were going on, Chay would more often than not be in and out of the hospital due to cough, colds, fever, running nose, understandably a side effect of a lowered immune system due to chemo.

One day, during a fiesta, a concerned neighbor casually handed over 2 sachets of First Vita Plus to Chay’s grandmother. She presumed, this neighbor knew, and probably tried to help. Just the same, she kept and set aside for future use. She thought it was like any ordinary drink.

A time came when the juice supply in their cupboard rrun out and suddenly, Chay’s grandma remembered the First Vita Plus sachet given to her. “Naalala ko, ang sarap ng tulog ko pagkatapos kong inumin yun,” she recalls, “kaya sabi ko, pwede ito para sa apo ko.” Believing the product was really good, she browsed over the brochures and red the ingredients. She found the contents of the First Vita Plus drink beneficial and healthful. She researched more on its website and all the more got interested when an article about leukemia patient was healed through the help of the First Vita Plus drink. Grandma shares, “So, I attended their symposium. I bought and finished one box. Sabi ko, pasusubukan ko ito sa apo ko.” Chay was religiously given a dosage of 6 sachets everyday for a year now. Her family observed her remarkable improvement. Chay’s mom, Joanna, tells this story: 

“Hindi na siya nagkaka-fever, yun ang napansin ko! Parang walang nangyari! Dati, makikita mo siyang hinang-hina pagkatapos ng chemo. Ngayon, hindi! Nakakapaglaro pa siya pagkatapos. Kahit hanggang alas dose ng gabi, aktibong-aktibo siya. Gumana na siyang kumain! Dati, nagkakasingaw siya matapos ang chemo. Ngayon, pag merong lumalabas sa kanyang bibig, binubudburan ito ng lola niya ng First Vita Plus powder. Kinabukasan, magaling na agad. Lumalakas talaga resistensya ng anak ko sa paginom ng First Vita Plus!”

"Doc becomes a dealer"

Initially, Chay’s doctor was against using First Vita Plus, feeling this might alter her chemotherapy. But considering her vibrant physical condition, as confirmed by the CBC results, he now believes in her usage of the product. Surprisingly, things even turned the other way around. Says Joanna, “Ngayon nagdealer na rin po si doc! Nabilib rin siya sa First Vita Plus. Pinaiinom na rin niya ang kanyang mga anak nito.” And to her neighbor, she has this to say, “Bakit ngayon lang niya inalok ito sa amin. Sana dati pa.”

Come September 2009, Chay will have completed her chemotherapy sessions. Her family is confident, things will be better for her. “Sana nga tuloy-tuloy na pagbabago kay Chay. She is not a survivor yet but because of First Vita Plus, we were given new hope to look forward to. Una, salamat kay God. Ikalawa, salamat sa First Vita Plus at nagkaroon kami ng bagong pag-asa na baling araw, pagkatapos ng 5 taong remission, din a muling uulit ang cancer ni Chay,” Joanna discloses.

Chay’s family requests readers of this article to include in their prayers so that very soon she may be on the road to complete recovery.

"It was in July 3, 2006, when Juliane Margarette “Chay” Alvarez, was discovered to be suffering from an Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a form of cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts, or immature cells proliferating uncontrollably in large numbers along her peripheral blood. She was 2 years old."

Source: First Vita Plus Marketing Corporation
For more info, contact: Jonathan Estrada, your health and business consultant