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Father bikes to
save son with cancer
By Marlon Ramos
Inquirer Southern Luzon
Like a professional cyclist
preparing for a big race, Robert Cariño has been seriously
training the past two months for the long-distance haul.
But unlike many competitive
cyclists, who bike for fame and fortune, the 42-year-old father
of four is fired up by a more daunting quest - to save his son's
life.
With a borrowed mountain
bike, Cariño yesterday kicked off from Alabang, Muntinlupa City,
on a 1,500-kilometer, 14-day bike caravan that hopes to raise at
least P1 million for medication for his son, Martin Jorel, who
is afflicted with lymphoma and other beneficiaries of the Cancer
Warriors Foundation (CWF).
Cariño, who was himself
diagnosed with Bell's palsy a few months ago, knows he would
need more than good physical conditioning to survive the long
back-breaking tour dubbed "Bike for Life 3: A journey of Courage
and Hope."
Aside from Cariño, eight
other fathers of young cancer patients, as well as CWF
volunteers and supporters like swimming champion Akiko Thompson,
joined the pack of bikers.
Founder had brain cancer
Also in the group was James
Auste, a brain cancer survivor who founded CWF more than seven
years ago.
"I know this caravan will
not be easy for us. But just seeing our child warriors fighting
for their lives is enough motivation for us to go on," said
Auste, his voice cracking.
The caravan also aims to
increase public awareness of childhood cancer and call the
attention of the national government to the problem.
Cariño admitted it was very
hard to accept the fate of his 16-year-old son who was diagnosed
more than a year ago.
"It just started with a
mass on my son's left hand. Then he started to complain about
the pain in his back. Soon after, we were told by the doctor
that my son was suffering from lymphoma.
He said the emotional
burden of their family was made worse by the financial
difficulty they are facing. Martin Jorel needs to undergo
chemotherapy once a week in the state-owned Philippine
Children's Medical Center in Quezon City. Minus the antibiotics
and other prescription drugs, the procedure costs P8,000.
It was during one of his
son's chemotherapy sessions that Cariño met Auste and the
volunteers of the foundation.
Cariño said his salary as a
salesman was simply not enough to provide for the medication and
weekly chemotherapy of Martin Jorel and still support the
studies of his three other children or even pay the rent of
their small apartment in Valenzuela City.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Monday, September 17, 2007
Breaking News / Metro (A6)
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view_article.php?article_id=88997 |
