An alumni scholar diagnosed with a 
                                           kidney disease seeks your help


This letter was written by Christian Salvan (BS Chemisty 2003) an alumni scholar. He was recently diagnosed with nephropathy, a chronic kidney disease and will need a kidney transplant. He is currently seeking a kidney donor and financial assistance. We ask kindly you to read his letter and find out how you can help.

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Matthew 7:7

Life is a continuous battle. People often wake up in the morning to constantly face the challenges that will come as the day progresses. These challenges makes one seek or give help, gain strength or weaken and experience failure or success. More often than not while most people would try to deal with the challenges alone, it would always require someone else’s help.

I am Christian R. Salvan, 28 years old, a native of Lucena City, Quezon province. Recently, I was diagnosed to be suffering from nephropathy (chronic kidney disease) and needs to have a kidney transplant as soon as possible. This is the latest complication I am experiencing since I was diagnosed as Diabetes mellitus (DM) Type 1 in June 2007. Yes, I am diabetic.

From the time I discovered that I am diabetic, I already suffered a lot from its complications. My left eye underwent an operation due to vitreous hemorrhage brought about by the retinopathy in August 2008 (a complication in the eye usually found in diabetic person). The doctor also performed a series of laser treatment in my right eye to keep it healthy. After being found unconscious on the floor of my room in February 2009, I was diagnosed to be suffering from cardiomyopathy (weakening of the heart) brought on by a virus I got when I had a flu in the last quarter of 2008. This has cost me my work as I need to resign to get my much needed rest. My endocrinologist was quite surprised how fast I had experienced these complications from my diabetes. Loss of vision, weakening of the heart and now kidney failure…it happened too fast. I have yet to fully recover from the tragedy that had taken place in my family in 2003 and here I am again in a dire situation.

My father passed away in New Year’s Day of 2003 due to multiple organ failure. Two months later, my mother died due to aneurysm. They never got the chance to witness my graduation day, the very day our family was looking forward to. My parents see great hopes in me for a brighter future for myself as well as for our family. They sacrificed a lot and do away with so many things in life to be able to support me going through college. My father was a government employee with only low salary and my mother was just a plain housewife. Although, I am blessed to have earned two scholarship programs: one from the Ateneo de Manila University and one from the Department of Science and Technology (which made it possible for me to pursue my studies in Ateneo), I still need some additional financial assistance to get me through each month. But I am very thankful for these two scholarship programs because if not for them, I would not be able to graduate with Bachelor of Science in Chemistry degree at the Ateneo in 2003. I was enrolled in one of Ateneo’s double program, BS Chemistry with Computer Engineering, but did not pursue anymore the second program (computer engineering) as I need to work immediately to support my 2 other siblings (18 and 6 years old back then). I got my license in 2006 and was able to get a job in the booming mining industry. Finally, things are working well for me and for my brothers until I discovered that I am diabetic. Everything is going downhill again.

All throughout these hardships I had experienced -- still experiencing, I have drawn strength from the Lord, my aunts and uncles both from the father and mother side. Since we become orphan, they have supported me and my brothers physically, emotionally, and especially financially. They have become our parents and treated us like their own children. They had financed all the hospitalization expenses I had incurred due to my illnesses and still supporting me with the regular medicines I had to take each day. I am forever grateful for their unconditional love. But they too have families and responsibilities to their own children. However much they wanted to support me in my current predicament, they do not also have enough resources to do so. Kidney transplant is just way too expensive for our family to afford.

There were times I just want to give up and just let the Lord decide on my fate. But looking at the people around me -- relatives and friends, they are not giving up on me. Instead, they readily lent their hands and have been with me every step in my struggle with my illnesses. They give me something to hold on – they give me hope.

I am still young. I wanted to live and live my dreams. I wanted to get back to work and someday be one of the successful chemists in the country. I wanted to be able to support my brothers and provide for them. I wanted to have a chance to help others – especially to help my relatives as much as they have helped me.

That is why here I am humbly seeking financial help to any person or group that will be willing to lend a hand. I am also still looking for a kidney donor and I hope to find one as soon as possible. I am doing this with all humility and faith. Please give me one more chance to live.

For those who wants to help:For inquiries you can reach me at 09217655033. For donations you can deposit it at the BDO account # 5030084410, San Pablo City Branch.

The AASA prays for Mr. Salvan and we hope that he will recover from this. For those who wish to help, see the details above or, you may contact AASA. Thank you.