Sarina
E. Estacio
Age: 19 years old
Case: Paralyzed body due to polio
and over
dose of medicines
Seven years ago, Sarina was a normal 11-year old girl in Barangay, Dos Hermanas, Talisay
City. She was a picture
of an ordinary daughter living a normal life, going to elementary school as a
regular pupil and excited to go to high school, since she was a graduating
student. Together with her father, mother , and 3
brothers, they had a normal life and everything
was fine until one evening.
She was brought to the
hospital, to Riverside Medical Center
in Bacolod City because she had a fever. When they
arrived there, the doctor ordered to inject her certain medication. Seconds
after the injection, she went into a cardiac arrest; she was brought to the
intensive care unit, went into 50-50 and almost lost her life. It was not clear
what solution was injected; what’s clear is that it was a case of medical
malpractice. From there on, her life was and forever will be changed.
Her condition now is
very depressing and outrageous. Her whole body, arms and legs became paralyzed.
She stopped going to school and stayed at home all the time. She can’t even speak and express what is on
her mind. She lost her independence, her dignity and an essence of what life is.
Because of that terrible medical mistake, she virtually lost hope to reach her
dreams, succeed in life and help her family out of the web of poverty.
For her, life is almost
hopeless, useless and gloomy. Until now, his father who works at a sugar
central in Negros Occidental (Visayas
Island) is still paying from
his monthly salary deductions for the expenses they incurred in the hospital,
which total more than one million pesos (USD 22,500). Her mother spends all of
her time taking care and meeting her needs.
Last July, Children
International – Philippines, Inc. and Free Wheelchair Mission turned over one
wheelchair through the Local Government of Talisay City. Certainly, a wheelchair
cannot bring back the lost dreams and resources. Surely, a wheelchair cannot
bring back everything to normal as life was seven years ago. However, that
single piece of metal with wheels from generous sponsors delivered a simple,
but yet profound message to Sarina’s family and to Sarina herself: a message of
care, charity and compassion.
