"SAGIP BUHAY"

Hi everyone,

Mike and Gigi Caballero are truly thankful for all your prayers and support. About a week after her major operation, Gigi was sent back to National Kidney Institute for a minor operation. But all is well now and they are back in their home. Vida Ortiz was able to visit her last Sunday and told me that Gigi looks more refreshed now proving to be that the new kidney was functioning very well.

Visiting Gigi at their home is still very limited so as not to endanger her with any kind of sickness that maybe passed on to her. She will continue to visit her doctor once (1) every week for check-up, making sure that no other complications should arise. The anti-rejection medicines are working very good also.

We have upcoming event "Tree Planting" for the campaign in support for Gigi's medications. I will have it posted here soon. May God bless us all.

The operation of Gigi was succesful. Quoting from her Doctor's, it was said that "It was a perfect operation." The operation started at around 7am and ended before noon. At arounf 6pm that same day, Gigi was already fully awake. According to Mike, her husband, the new kidney was performing very well and that the anti-rejection medication is working just fine.

Truly, God moved in this situation. We again thank you for all your support and specially for all your prayers. Gigi was already discharged from the hospital and now resting at their home where she will continue the 6 mos. testing period which is crucial to attain perfect health condition. Below are some photos which were taken the day she was discharged.

(Mike, One of the Doctors, Gigi)


(Doctor, Gigi, Jebeth, Alvin)

Hi everyone,

We would like to inform everyone that the kidney transplant of Gigi Caballero will already push thru.

The operation will be on June 18, 2008 at Cardinal Santos Hospital in San Juan, Manila to be administered by Head Surgeon Dra. Rosemary Liquette of the National Kidney Institute (NKI) and Transplant Team.

The operation was immediately scheduled by her doctor after confirmation that there is an available kidney donor for Gigi.
We believe that God is moving powerfully for Gigi’s immediate operation since the kidney donor match for Gigi are very hard to find and her present donor is actually compatible with three (3) other kidney patients. But due to some unexpected situations and financial constraints they declined the said donor, & eventually the donor was offered to Gigi.

With the said good news, please be with us in praying for the following:

1. That God will strengthen Mike and Gigi on this delicate and testing time.
2. That the blood and tissues of Gigi and her donor will match during and after the operation.
3. That the operation will be successful.
4. That Gigi’s body will not reject the new kidney.
5. That no complication/s will arise after the operation.
6. For Gigi & her donor’s fast recovery.
7. That additional financial support will come in.


At present time, the couple has just enough savings to cover the operation expense. There is still a big amount needed to cover Gigi’s AFTER operation medical expense.

We therefore would like to ask for your continued support just like what most of you have already been doing. In behalf, of Mike and Gigi, we can't thank you enough. For because of your giving hearts, they have been greatly encouraged and will be forever indebted to all of you.

Thank you very much from all of us.

Sincerely,

Ralph B. Ariño
helpforgigi|CAMPAIGN Team

Hello again everyone,

We are halfway thru our goal. Currently we are now at PHP 1,051,513.00
Another goodnews is that Gigi's doctors confirmed an available donor match for her.

Let's continue be praying for Mike and Gigi and that the funds will greatly increase.
The sooner we get our funds ready, the better for Gigi to go and start the procedure.

Total Required : PHP 2.22M
Current Fund: PHP 1.05M

Lacking: PHP 1.17M

Hello again everyone,

Already, many has responded from this campaign and we are very grateful to all of them. Not only that we received funds from here in Manila but from all over the world as well. Many of our brothers and sisters from other countries have offered their pledges too and expresseed their willingness to support. We thank you all, from all of us.

Currently, Gigi has not undergone the needed transplant just yet. The total funds raised up as of today is not sufficient to proceed with the operation. From our initial assesment, The couple needed at least P1.7M to go thru the operation but apparently the Doctor's advised them to raise-up for more.

The reason being is that first, The Doctors themselves will have to produce the kidney that Gigi requires since two (2) of her supposed donors backed-out. Second, with Gigi's current condition, the doctors advised for them to have an "Emergency Fund" to cover the anti-rejection medication after the transplant. And unless they produce it, the procedure will not happen. This "emergency fund" should at least cover the first year after the operation. Per monthly cost, it will be at around P40k to P60k ($889-$1,333).

In summary the total funds needed are listed below,

Total cost for transplant (Hospitalization,transplant,kidney) P1.5M
Emergency Fund (Anti-Rejection Medications 1-year) P .72M
---------
Total Required P2.22M
Current fund .90M
---------
Funds need to be raised-up (lacking) P1.32M ($29,333)

Again, thank you. We still want to ask for your support and may our God return to you the favor you have freely given.

-------
Campaign Team

Dear Friends,

We appeal to you in behalf of our brother and sister, Mike and Gigi Caballero from Quezon City Central Region of the Metro Manila Christian Church.

Mike and Gigi are faithful disciples since their campus years. Gigi is a 15 year-old disciple from the University of Santo Tomas, while Mike is a 14 year-old disciple from the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. They both grew in the Church from Campus, Singles then to the Marrieds Ministry. They served the Church as Bible Talk and Housechurch Leaders.

In May 2004, Gigi was diagnosed to have Kidney Renal Failure, a condition where her kidneys ceased to function. In order to live, she undergoes twice a week of dialysis and continuous medication, which amount to a monthly average expense of P40,00.00 (around $930.00). Mike married Gigi in 2005 and since then had sacrificed greatly in order to help Gigi. He presently works in Singapore as Technical Support to help make ends meet and to save every single peso for Gigi’s kidney transplant. In three and a half years, they both have spent around P1.72M ($40,000) in dialysis and medication.

Because of the financial burden of her illness, Gigi continues to work in Chinabank Greenhills Branch as Customer Relations Assistant, even though she is mostly physically weak, usually hypertensive and anemic as effects of kidney failure. Since the dialysis is already taking a toll on body, she needs to have a kidney transplant in March 2008 that will cost a total expense of P1.83M (or around $43,000.00).

This amount covers the donor, cross-matching, tissue matching, laboratory tests, the actual kidney transplant and monthly medication for anti-rejection within 1 year after operation. Even after the kidney transplant, Gigi will continue to take medicines for the rest of her life.

Through the help of their families, they have raised around P700K ($16,279.00) which they painstakingly saved for the last 3 years. However, they still need around P1.1M (approximately $26,000) to cover all expenses. As volunteer friends from the QC Central Region, we have organized ourselves to help raise awareness and financial support for Mike and Gigi.


--helpforgigi|campaign team "Friends of Gigi"

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