Retired nurse Melba Dickman Lamen last Monday returned to the Baguio General Hospital where she studied to heal and care, this time to extend a hand to a relative badly in need of arteriovenous creation surgery to enable him to sustain his life-time dialysis for kidney failure.
“I only came to know of his plight and whereabouts through a news item in the weekly papers last Sunday that dwelt on his need for fund support so he can have a new fistula and be able to continue his dialysis treatment,” Dickman said during a visit at the dialysis room of the BGHMC.
The patient, 33-year old Topriano Libis, a native of Taba-ao, Kapangan, Benguet, last Sunday aired his appeal for help to enable him to undergo surgery for the creation of an arteriovenous graft on his arm to which the dialysis machine is attached for his twice-a-week blood-cleansing schedule.
Dialysis center nurse Carmen Bumatnong earlier told media the patient’s plight, saving Libis underwent arteriovenous creation for three times but all of the procedures failed, forcing him to undergo dialysis through vein connections in the neck.
“He must eventually have an AV graft in the arm as the dialysis connection through the neck is only temporary and prone to infection,” Bumatnong explained.
Unable to raise P40,000 needed for the creation of the AV graft at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Libis last week issued an appeal for help through the weekly papers.
When Lamen read Libis’ plight, Lamen visited him at the hospital and set up an initial fund to start the drive to raise the amount needed for the patient’s AV graft creation through surgery.
“Being a nurse, I know how difficult it is for dialysis patients to sustain their treatment and medication, given the fact that dialysis must have to be undertaken at least twice a week for a lifetime,” Lamen said. “That’s why I am reiterating the family’s appeal for help from Samaritans to sustain his treatment.”
Other Samaritans can call the patient’s mother Lily’s cellphone number – 09397758271 0r thus writer’s number (09167778103). ** Ramon Dacawi.
