l.i.f.e. @ 16
On 17th December, 1994, some cured leukemic patients of the Dr. Fe del Mundo Medical Center (formerly Children’s Medical Center), their parents, friends, and doctors established the LEUKEMIC INDIGENTS FUND ENDOWMENT(L.I.F.E.), Inc., a non-profit foundation. L.I.F.E. was incorporated on 17th July 1995 (SEC# AN-095-02652).
LIFE was founded by the late Dr. Alendry P. CAVILES, Jr. The Board of Trustees is composed of Mr. Ramon S. ANG, Prof. Rafael J. AZANZA, Ms. Angelita G. AVENA, Mr. Manolo L. CLAVIO, Ms. Corazon Ma. B. CRUZ, Dr. Victor E. ESTEPA, Mr. Gabriel A. FELIX, Ms. Carmela CAVILES-GOZON, Mr. Winfred Y. HUANG, Ms. Angelina S. PANGANIBAN, Ms. Emma U. YAP, Ms. Maria Katrina M. YATCO, and Dr. Ernesto d”J YUSON with Dr. Fe DEL MUNDO and Ms. Grace WHANG-CRUZ as Honorary Trustees.
Guided by its vision to get lives together and to provide the opportunity for those with more in life and of life, to share with those with less. L.I.F.E. exists to serve two purposes. The first is to assist leukemic children from indigent families achieve remission. This is the primary objective of the Foundation “Adopt a Leukemic Child Program” where each indigent leukemic child will be “clinically adopted” by at least one benefactor for over a 3 year period. This minimum allocation of treatment of our objective is towards CURE. The amount is necessary for chemotherapy, laboratory diagnostics and antibiotics. Hundreds of benevolent inpiduals and corporation were drawn to this project. The second purpose is to provide optimum care in response to the children’s material, psychosocial and spiritual needs for which the foundation created a voluntary support group composed of cured patients, parents, relatives, friends, doctors, religious groups and some good Samaritans to provide spiritual, psychosocial and recreational support through healing and sharing play sessions, art, dance and occupational therapies which are essential in the healing of disease. All in all the total management of the leukemic child involves pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic modes.
The Leukemic Indigents Fund Endowment (L.I.F.E.) in 16 years has passed its litmus test of credibility, sincerity and social responsibility. One by one kind-hearted Samaritans, organizations and corporations were drawn to the cause. Even young people like students from different universities came to help in their small ways giving hope & joy to the children and their families. More than 300 patients have been helped in part or in full. Sixty three (63) have been CURED.
The benevolence, generosity and kindness of our benefactors made it possible for us to render full or partial anti-leukemic treatment, diagnostics, support care to hundred of indigent leukemic children, enabling them to join the mainstream of normal life.