Juliana is a studious teenage girl from the Philippines. She loves to read and watch TV shows. She lives with her mother and her younger brother. Her mother brings food to the table by working as a vendor.
In October 2022, Juliana began to experience troubling symptoms, including palpable mass on her neck, excessive sweating, easy fatigability, and episodes of feverish feeling. Worried about her condition, her mother brought her to our partner care facility to be checked. There, she was advised to undergo a series of tests. She was diagnosed with thyroid carcinoma, which develops when cells change or mutate and multiply in the thyroid gland. She needs surgery to prevent her symptoms from getting worse.
Fortunately, our medical partner, World Surgical Foundation Philippines (WSFP), is helping Juliana receive treatment. She is scheduled to undergo a thyroidectomy on December 16th at Our Lady of Peace Hospital. Surgeons will remove all or part of her thyroid gland. A portion of the cost of her treatment is being supported by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and WSFP is raising the remaining $890 to cover the cost of Juliana’s procedure and care.
Juliana tearfully shared, “I never expected to have this condition at this very young age. Gladly, there are foundations like you that are willing to help people like me. Watsi and World Surgical Foundation Philippines, thank you! Please continue helping those in need.”