Synergy March 2018

SY N E R GY Vol. 07 No.01 Mission: Compassion Medical missions have always been a cornerstone of this Foundation, and in this issue, we shine the spotlight on their volunteer heroes. A Quarterly Publication of St. Luke’s Medical Center - Resource Development Group

EDITORIAL BOARD Arturo S. De La Peña, MD Brian Michael I. Cabral, MD Benjamin S.A. Campomanes, Jr., MD Olivia B. Yao EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF Kara Ortiga CREATIVE DIRECTOR Edric dela Rosa PHOTOGRAPHERS RG Medestomas Kitkat Pajaro ILLUSTRATOR Mark Magnaye EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Niña Bautista Jude Trinidad THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY You may contact us for your donations:ST. LUKE’S MEDICAL CENTER - RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT GROUP 5/F, St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City 32nd Street and 5th Avenue (+632) 789-7700 extension 5076 and 5077 8/F St Luke’s College of Medicine - William H. Quasha Memorial 279 E. Rodriguez Ave., Quezon City Website: www.stlukesfoundation.org.ph E-mail: [email protected] www.stlukesmedicalcenter.com.ph www.stlukes.com.ph For comments and suggestions, please call Niña Mirrela C. Bautista ReD – Fund Development Officer Tel. No.: (632) 789-7576

March 2018WHY WE PAY ITFORWARDIt’s so invigorating to start a inspiring to see such selflessness the teams who head out arenew year. The turn of the times in their efforts. well equipped. Various surgicalsymbolizes a clean slate: an and dental equipment wereopportunity to refresh ourselves Medical missions have always purchased by the Foundation, toand start anew as we continue been a cornerstone of this be used by Sagip Bayan in theiron our journey to do good work Foundation. They are one of the missions. The Foundation alsoand to pay it forward. Some may reasons that we continue to do acquired a portable anesthesiawonder, how and why do we do it? this work. In this issue, we focus machine, in order to serve more on the unsung heroes of these indigent patients in hard-to- Year after year, we at the missions, highlighting three reach areas.Foundation are continuously projects that were successfullyrewarded with the gift of smiles conducted in different areas, The spirit of these medicalfrom families who can finally find with the help of partner missions is truly inspiring. And itpeace of mind that they can have organizations. SLMC GC’s cannot be done alone. Workingaccess to healthcare. It warms Support Services Group and the together, we reach more peopleour hearts to see them relieved of Foundation worked with Project in need. Come, join us!the burdens of financial worries, Liwanag to aid Aeta groups inwhich allows them more energy Tarlac. The Philippine Nurses DR. ARTURO S. DE LA PEÑAfor healing. We do not tire from Assocation and the Foundation President & CEOthis work because we see how team up to help displaced St. Luke’s Medical Centermany people in communities in members of Brgy. Tatalon in President, St. Luke’s Medicalfar flung areas are still in need of Quezon City. And about 2,000 Center Foundation, Inc.our help. We continue to reach out residents of a resettlement areato them because no one else will, were aided in Morong, Rizal, withand watching them finally have volunteers from Sagip Bayan andaccess to medicine is a gift. We the Foundation.find purpose in this work becauseof the sense volunteerism that Lastly, recognizing how muchenlivens our doctors, and it is so work is done in these medical missions, it is important to ensure SY N E R GY 01

March 2018THE JOYFULHEARTTHE AMAZING TRANSFORMATIONOF THREE-YEAR-OLD SOPHIA.Sophia was diagnosed with Frontonasal who reacts to her parents cooing. Sophia’sEncephalocele. Since birth, her parents father is jobless, but is a doting father toJomel Soler and Lovely Eugenio would his daughter; while her mother is a libraryhave a hard time cradling their baby, who clerk and the sole income provider for thewould struggle with the growing mass on family. Despite their hardships, it evident inthe face. She was always uncomfortable, Sophia’s smile that this is a family that hasand irritated, and it pained her parents survived with a lot of love.to see her so unhappy. With the helpof the Foundation and the St. Luke’sSocial Service Dept., Sophia underwentextracranial repair, which aims to lessenthe amount of mass on her face. Sevenmonths later, with a significant amountreduced, Sophia cannot stop laughingand smiling. She is a playful three-year-old02 S Y N E R G Y

March 2018WIDER REACH THE FOUNDATION ACQUIRES A NEW PORTABLE ANESTHESIA MACHINE.Last year, the St. Luke’s Medical Center indigent patients in depressed and far flungFoundation, Inc. was able to help about communities, this machine allows them to20,000 total patients. In order to help conduct more operations, especially toboost its outreach program so that they areas that are hard to reach. Along with itscan reach more people in need, the pool of surgeons and other multi-specialtyFoundation has acquired a new portable physicians, the mission’s objective is toanesthesia machine. render free services that leave a lasting impact on the lives of the beneficiaries. The new machine will be put to gooduse by the Foundation’s outreach partners The new anesthesia machine is lightsuch as Sagip Bayan and the St. Luke’s- and easily transportable to many places.Global City doctors who regularly conduct It has a four-wheel carrying case, and issurgical missions around the country. equipped with the necessary features to meet international standards such as ISO, Having refocused many of its outreach CGA, BS, CSA, UL, IEC 601, to name a few.activities to serve the surgical needs of theSY N E R GY 03

March 2018MISSION POSSIBLE THE FOUNDATION PURCHASES MORE SURGICAL AND DENTAL INSTRUMENTS TO BE USED IN MEDICAL MISSIONS.Medical missions are one of the pillars and dental instruments which will be usedof this Foundation. They allow volunteer by the organization in their journeys. Thisdoctors to trek to communities with a lack purchase hopes to further equip the doctorsof access to proper healthcare, and offer and dentists who join the missions, in ordertheir services. For many communities, this to reach more people who are in need. Here,is the only opportunity they have to be Dr. Sammy Dee Tanzo, President of thetreated, or even to be given medicine or Sagip Bayan Foundation Inc. receives thecare. Some people’s lives even depend on it. instruments from Olivia Yao, VP and Head of Resource Development Group/Resource In line with the growing number of Generation Director of the Foundation..medical missions conducted by SagipBayan, the Foundation purchased surgical04 S Y N E R G Y

March 2018MISSION:COMPASSIONA LOOK AT THREE MISSIONS THAT HAVETRAVERSED FAR AND WIDE TOLEND A HAND TO THOSE IN NEED.SY N E R GY 05

March 2018 TEAM SPIRIT THE FOUNDATION TEAMS UP WITH THE PNA TO HELP DISPLACED RESIDENTS OF BRGY. TATALON. Residents from a community in Quezon City, which has a high concentration of informal settlers, were given adequate medical, dental, consultation and screening services last January 13. The medical and dental mission was an effort born from the partnership of the St. Luke’s Medical Center Foundation, Inc. and the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA). The mission targeted children and senior citizens of Barangay, Tatalon, District 4 of Quezon City. The Foundation provided the medicine supplies, while the PNA came full force with adequate manpower. A total of about 200 patients were served by the end of the mission.06 S Y N E R G Y

March 2018SPREADING toiletries, food and clothing. ProjectTHE LIGHTOF HOPE Liwanag has been involved in installingST. LUKE’S SUPPORT SERVICES electricity in remote tribal AetaGROUP AND THE FOUNDATIONWITH PROJECT LIWANAG TREK TO communities, and it has partnered with St.THE AETA COMMUNITIES. Luke’s also in such projects.Imagine this: a group of volunteers trekkingrocky hills, wading through rivers, and The volunteer groups passed throughbraving slippery roads, in order to reachSitio Manalal in Capas, Tarlac—the farthest hidden sitios, and were able to makeof the Aeta communities in the province.Here, the volunteers, members of the St. quick trips to tribes of Bulacan, Pilyen andLuke’s Medical Center Foundation and theSupport Services Group (SSG) of St. Luke’s Pisapungan, where they were also warmly– Global City, partnered up with ProjectLiwanag, a Non-Government Organization, received by the locals and their communityto reach out to the indigenous people inCapas, Tarlac. leaders. Here, they also distributed health The Aetas who reside in the area were and first aid kits, as well as food packs andable to receive medicine, health kits, sacks of rice from SSG. SY N E R GY 07

March 2018 HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS MORONG RESIDENTS DISPLACED BY CLEARING OPERATIONS GET FREE MEDICAL AND DENTAL SERVICES. About 2,000 residents of the St. Martha Housing site—a resettlement area for the former informal settlers of Quezon City—received free medical and dental services during the outreach mission conducted by the volunteers of Sagip Bayan and the Foundation. The activity was held on December 3 last year, at the Morong National High School in Sitio Talaga, Barangay Maybangcal, in Morong, Rizal. The mission was held at the center of the vast shelter site bought by the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the Quezon City residents affected by clearing operations that affected about 1,500 families. Volunteer multi-specialty doctors, dentists, and hospital staff from St. Luke’s extended free ophthalmology, ENT, OB, dermatology, pediatric, surgical, as well as ECG and X-ray services during the day’s mission. The NHA relocation site is beset by a fast growing population, and the lack of dedicated healthcare facilities and personnel.08 S Y N E R G Y

March 2018TRUE hospitals, it was a hometown doctor inWARRIOR Batangas who made the diagnosis, and pointed him to the St. Luke’s Social ServiceLORDVIN MACALALAD NEVER GAVE Department to ask for help. His wife is aUP ON HIS QUEST TO FIND ANSWERS. teacher, and because Lordvin had to resignNOW HE IS ON THE ROAD TO TRUE from his work abroad, money was difficultHEALING. to find for a father of two.Lordvin was diagnosed with Pituitary It took two years before they finallyMacroadenoma. He lifts his hands up to found what was wrong. And though hisshow us the effects: his hands are swollen journey to getting better was frustrating,to almost three times the size. He used to he said, he never gave up, knowing that hebe a mechanic in Abu Dhabi, and this is also had a family to go home to. Today, he iswhere he started noticing some symptoms. grateful. “Itinuro ako ng Panginoon dito saHis hands and feet were swollen, they were St. Luke’s. Maayos naman ang transactionnumb, he could hardly move them, and all ko tsaka may proseso sila dito. Lakinghis joints were aching. He decided to go tiwala ko dito,” he says. When before, hehome to get checked. And after numerous couldn’t even close his hands, now he islaboratory tests and visits to various able to move them more freely. He hopes to continue his healing process, and in the future, he wants to be able to work again. “May maliliit pa akong bata,” he says.SY N E R GY 09