Ocee needs your help

JUST BE By Bernadette Sembrano
The Philippine Star 10/15/2006

 It was almost half past 8 in the morning and we were waiting for the closing of Magandang Umaga Pilipinas (MUP). Like a bunch of high school students during recess break is how we are during commercial breaks, absorbed in all sorts of chatter. Tin-Tin Babao was flipping through the pages of a magazine. Julius had his head bent down, asking Tin-tin when the operation of Ocee was. Tintin replied but I did not hear what she said. I’m not sure if her answer was faint, or maybe I was preoccupied, slumped at the end of the couch looking at Ocee Antonino with his mother Mylene, who were waiting for me at the corner of the studio.

I met 11-month-old Ocee the previous week when they visited to see the Babaos. Tin asked if I could feature Ocee in my column. She knew I was writing a similar story about Nessa, the five-year-old girl I featured here last Tuesday who needed a heart operation.

Ocee has biliary atresia, a rare disease that affects newborns. The biliary tract between liver and intestines is completely blocked and bile retention then causes destruction of the liver itself. (www.biliary-atresia.com)

Every week, they commute from Tarlac to Manila for Ocee’s check-up. But that day they brought extra clothes, in case Ocee needed a blood transfusion.

He was restless that morning. Mylene apologized and explained that Ocee becomes cranky whenever bile starts to accumulate in his system. This means it has to be flushed out immediately because it is destroying the liver. The doctor advised a liver transplant before February next year, and after this Ocee will need lifetime maintenance.

Not to be discouraged, Mylene is taking it one step at a time, hanging on to the 80 percent chance that the doctors gave them. Their journey takes them from Tarlac, to Manila and Baguio – to raise funds for the operation.

One of the cans found its way to our makeup room in ABS CBN beside the image of Sto. Niño. A dozen more cans are at the trunk of Tin-Tin’s van, for distribution at David’s Salon branches, and a can for each of the hosts in the show – for our loose change, as Tin-Tin would say.

They need P3-M for the transplant but the money that they are able to raise is only enough for their weekly maintenance.

Mylene is hanging on to prayer and the generosity of people willing to spare some change.

Donations for Ocee may be coursed through Lift B.A.B.I.E.S. Foundation ( Life Thru Transplants-Biliary Atresia Babies Information, Education and Support Foundation), an NGO founded by Jess and Lulu Matubis, whose granddaughter Jeremaia also had biliary atresia. Jeremaia got her much needed transplant in the US and is now seven years old.

Here are the bank account details: Equitable PCIB Branch LIFT-B.A.B.I.E.S Foundation, Inc. Account No. 0230-00198-7. Please advise the foundation about your donation for Ocee. Please call 0918-9263237 or 824-4621

This is not the first time that a can has been passed around for a worthy cause. This is certainly not the first time that a baby with biliary atresia was saved through the generosity of others.

Ocee has been featured in Magandang Umaga Pilipinas. Mylene was interviewed in DZMM, and they have this column to speak of their ordeal. Now that you know his story, we hope you can spare some change. A transplant is the best gift that the world can give Ocee who is celebrating his first birthday on Oct. 22.

Good News: Last Tuesday, I featured Nessa, the five-year-old girl who needed a new heart. The employees of Probe Productions, Inc., who are at the forefront of the fundraising drive, received very positive feedback.

For inquiries on how you can help Nessa, please call 922-9273 and look for Beth Manalaysay.

Best News: I got an e-mail from a stranger, telling me that he wants to volunteer in Gawad Kalinga (GK). He saw us talk about GK in MUP and he wants to participate! Ask not what others can do for you, but what you can do for others!

Be a blessing!!!