By Vir B. Lumicao
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| Elma, looking frail and thin after her surgery, is met by her mother (right) at Manila airport |
Two Filipina domestic workers who are waging a battle against cancer have returned home to be reunited with their families.
The more serious of the
two patients, 39-year-old Elma P. dela Cruz, flew home this morning, Oct 29, on a Philippine Airlines flight to
The other patient is
Airene Hogan, a 33-year-old mother of two young daughters who decided to fly
home on Sept 26 to
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Today’s flight was the third attempt of Dela Cruz to return home. She was set to fly home on Aug 29, but her condition turned worse. Then she was rebooked for a flight on Oct 23, but doctors put off her release.
Dela Cruz was first
diagnosed with breast cancer in November last year. Her employer did not rehire
her after learning about the diagnosis. But despite her medical condition, a
British employer signed her up so she could continue getting treated in
In August, she was taken
to
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Dela Cruz, a mother of a girl aged 19 and a boy aged 16, had been confined in the hospital since then.
Her plight was brought to public attention by Marites Palma, founder of Social Justice for Migrant Workers, through a crowdfunding campaign.
More donors stepped
forward after The SUN published a story about her case on Aug 24. Migrant
workers and
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In accordance with Dela Cruz’s wish, the donated money was mainly sent to her family in the
In addition, a Hong Kong couple who read The SUN's story sent $13,200 directly to Dela Cruz's family in the Philippines. The couple also promised an additional cash aid of $16,000 to help her rehabilitation once she gets back home.
This morning, the patient's childhood
friend Mary Alejo attended to her discharge from the hospital and took her to
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| Elma was accompanied on the plane by fellow OFW Manilyn Abuana |
At the airport, Josz Villa, a nurse connected with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Hong Kong office, waited with a wheelchair for Dela Cruz, then helped her check in and clear Customs and Immigration, and onto a plane.
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When the plane arrived at
She will go straight to a
hospital in
Dela Cruz came to
A British couple signed her up next even after being told
she had cancer. They also helped her undergo mastectomy
at Pamela Youde. When they eventually left
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| Airene shows the money sent to her in the Philippines by DWC members |
Airene Hogan, colorectal cancer patient
Hogan, meanwhile, is back with her family in
She was diagnosed with colorectal cancer on Aug 3, and decided to go home the next month after her employer released her from their contract. On her return in the Philippines, she sought a second opinion which confirmed the earlier diagnosis.
On Oct 20, she posted an appeal for help through the Facebook page of the online group Domestic Workers Corner, saying she needed to undergo surgery to treat her ailment.
The group managed to immediately raise cash donations totaling $3,897, which they remitted to her on Thursday.
In the post that was accompanied by her photo on her sickbed, Hogan said that on doctor's advice she opted for surgery, but didn’t have the money for it, that’s why she asked for help.
In the meantime, she said she needs to boost her health before the surgery as she has lost weight and has not been sleeping well because of the intense pain from her cancer.
While still in
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