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| Virginia Mitra (right) accompanies daughter-in-law Emelosa (left) to pay a visit to the VOH office after a scheduled checkup in PGH . |
With resources and time running out, sixty-year-old Virginia Mitra travelled from her home in Binan, Laguna to the Visions of Hope (VOH) office in Manila to take a chance on receiving a blood donation for her daughter-in-law, Emelosa. She felt anxious. But also expecting good news, she brought a water jug to keep the bags of blood in, in case these were available. Community Mobilization Program (CMP) Officer Fe Poblete and Covenant Community Builder Ptr. Deonito Espinosa of Center for Community Transformation (CCT) Binan coordinated with VOH Health Team's Dr. John Tabije who assisted Virginia in tapping into the CCT blood bank in the Philippine General Hospital.
Grateful for the two bags of blood that she acquired for free, Virginia hurriedly left the VOH office and beat a two-hour deadline in delivering the bags to a hospital in Laguna. The following day, Emelosa successfully underwent blood transfusion.
Virginia has been a CCT partner for almost five years now while Emelosa recently joined CCT. Before she became busy caring for Emelosa, Virginia was in a direct selling business. She sold cosmetics and herbal products, and also sewed school uniforms and pillowcases. Emelosa, on the other hand, used to sell prepaid electronic cell phone load and ice to her neighbors. December of 2012 was a time of their family’s “deepest sorrow” because it was when Emelosa was first brought to the hospital for acute renal failure and renal anemia. Since then, everything changed for them – both their businesses were stalled, Emelosa’s five-year-old son has been in the care of relatives, and Emelosa’s husband, Rufino, has to work doubly hard to provide for them.
Both Virginia and Emelosa thank VOH for its assistance during their time of need. They also thank CMP Officer Fe who has been a constant source of support, encouragement, and wisdom. They continue to trust God for Emelosa's healing and for provision for their family.
Encouraged by how Emelosa was helped by the CCT blood bank, the CCT partners in Binan are set to organize a bloodletting activity among themselves, with the help of the VOH Health Team’s doctors and nurses.
