A journey toward accessible leukemia care
Patient Stories Series
(No. 53)
Evangelyn G. Nery has been living with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) since her diagnosis on 11 August 2015. She continues to undergo oral chemotherapy and requires regular laboratory tests and medical monitoring—essential components of managing her condition but also a significant financial burden.
For Evangelyn, now at 44, the challenges of leukemia extend beyond treatment itself. They also include the distance from home and the sacrifices her family makes to ensure she can receive the care she needs.
Evangelyn, 44, and her partner, Gregorio, have two children who currently stay with their grandmother in Camarines Norte while their parents rent a small place in Addition Hills, Mandaluyong City, so Evangelyn can continue her treatment in Metro Manila.
Despite the distance, the family remains closely connected through regular calls, visits during school breaks and special occasions, and annual trips home to the province. Like many patients from outside Metro Manila, Evangelyn hopes for more accessible cancer care closer to home, so patients would no longer have to endure long journeys for laboratory procedures, consultations, and follow-up care.
Her hope echoes a growing need for greater access to cancer services across the country. Government-supported programs and health coverage are increasingly providing assistance to qualified and vulnerable sectors, helping reduce the financial barriers that can prevent patients from obtaining essential care.
Where patients can find help. Through the Department of Health (DOH) Cancer Support resource, patients and families can learn more about available programs, including PhilHealth Z Benefits, Yaman ng Kalusugan (YAKAP), the Cancer Assistance Fund (CAF), and the Cancer Support and Palliative Medicine Access Program (CSPMAP).
Information on DOH hospitals and hotlines, as well as Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service (BUCAS) Centers, is also available for qualified patients seeking appropriate care. (Read the separate story on DOH-PhilHealth Cancer Support here: Blood cancer awareness: Know the signs; seek care early and PhilHealth benefits and programs: Strengthening healthcare advocacy for EPCALM patients and their families).
For patients like Evangelyn, knowing where to find assistance can make an important difference. Adult leukemia often brings continuing expenses for medicines, laboratory tests, consultations, hospitalization, and blood and blood products. EPCALM believes that helping patients navigate these resources is part of compassionate, equitable, and family-centered care.
By connecting adult leukemia patients and their families with government programs, healthcare institutions, and other available resources—alongside EPCALM’s own support services—the Foundation hopes to help lessen the burden of illness and make the journey a little more manageable.
Evangelyn’s story reminds us that access to quality healthcare should not be limited by geography or financial circumstance, and that no patient should have to navigate the journey alone. (By Amelien Clariza D. Bacani)
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
As a non-stock, non-profit organization, the EPCALM Foundation relies on your support to assist individuals living with adult leukemia and their families. Your generosity makes a significant difference in their lives as they navigate this disease. Through your kindness, we can provide the essential resources they need to begin rebuilding.
To make a donation, you may use any of the following methods:
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