Tinanong ko, "Bakit mainit ulo mo?!" Ang nanay niya ang sumagot, "Kasi ho yan ang effect ng chemotherapy sa kanya!"

Si Russel ay isang 2 year old bubbly boy from Cavite at kakaiba siya kasi iisa na lang ang kanyang mata.  Russel is one of the many one or no eyed warriors of the Foundation! He was one of the first retinoblastoma (cancer of the retina of the eye) cases we have supported.

Russel and his "classmates" (kids suffering from retinoblastoma) are the reason why the foundation supported Dra. Aiee Antonio in her dream of setting up a foundation focused on retinoblastoma. Her dream was achieved thru the CANCERT last September which raised the seed money to help start up this foundation.

Kids like Russel who have retinoblastoma, under go a long, varied, and complicated process of treatment.  The first step Russel went thru was an operation-which removed his left eye --- this was needed to give him a higher chance of survival. Then he went thru 8 sessions of monthly chemotherapy and to be 90% sure that the cancer does not recur, he also needed to go thru 26 sessions of cobalt therapy.

We met Russell, his mother and lola during his last session of chemotherapy.  The mother approached me and said, "Sir, tuyong-tuyo na kami, baon na kami sa utang, at wala na kaming maibenta pa!  Wala na rin akong trabaho dahil kailangan ni russel ng kasama araw araw!"

The foundation shouldered the 26 sessions of cobalt Russell needed for him to enjoy what other kids take for granted-child's play, friends, fun time with family, and a life outside of hospital walls and treatment sessions!

Right now, Russel needs a fake eye implant. Having survived the worst, Russel is back to being the most boisterous, pinakamakulit, at pinakamagulong bata in the Cancer Institute.