'The Angels Save My Life' - Whelyn

Whelyn and Zenny

Whelyn, sometime in 2006, wanted to have free eyeglasses from a 2nd year Canadian medical mission. While she was waiting for her turn, she was advised by Dr. Melinda Musgrave to examine her breast for possible malady. Dr. Musgrave, a reconstructive surgeon at St. Michael Hospital, detected from Whelyn's breast a lumps, which was in serious state. So she was scheduled the following day for a bilateral radical mastectomy.

From then on, Whelyn had been given an annual supply of Tamoxigen. Then last year 2011, Whelyn remains in remission.

Recently in La Carlota medical mission conducted by the Urban Angels of St. Michael Hospital, Toronto, Canada, Whelyn was there as a local volunteer for the said mission. She wanted to let others know that she had been helped by the mission.

"The Urban Angels saved my life," Whelyn happily told.

What is Urban Angels?

The Urban Angels are an interdisciplinary team of medical and non-medical volunteers based in Canada. They annually travel to the Philippines and provide free ye-care treatment to those in need. Most of the staff are medically rained professionals who practised in the Greater Toronto Area and have affiliations with St. Michael's Hospital, North York General Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children Toronto, and Trillium Hospital in Missisauga

Recently in La Carlota, the Urban Angels treated more than 500 indigent and less privileged family patients of different Barangays in La Carlota City held at La Carlota City Gym.

Meanwhile Zeny Palacios Gepilano, who is very instrumental for uniting and inspiring this group of volunteer doctors to do medical work to "those less fortunate on the other side of the world" informed that there are  56 doctors, nurses and volunteers in Toronto, Canada and in the Philippines joined in this mission.

Some of those patients who had been treated and have expressed their thanks were Morita Mallorca, 65, a housewife of Barangay Nagasi, a sugar farmworker who suffered from swollen legs, and Larry Laos, 55, jobless with 4 children from Barangay Ayungon, who has a left hand cripple since l988 when he bladed his small cest on his left arm caused infection and was cut by the doctor.

The doctors who conducted patient's consultations were: Dr. Dan Cass, Dr. Miriam Balitian Dill, Dr. Tammy Shaw, Dr. Ann Marie Mckenn, Dr. Kathlyn Therese Criste, and Dr. Lori Giovannetti.

The nurses and Volunteers on taking blood pressure and Vital Signs were Linda Bruce, Patricia Vandegrift, Jerome Hidalgo, Jasmine Erret, Nicole Meleca, Norine Meleca, Leanne Jeffs, Shane, Robert, Cris and Kobi Dill, Art Bellosello, Millet Miranda, Rey Espiritu, Eduard Rosales, Jasmine Erret, Jusail Rodriguez, Evelyn Palacios, Gladys Belvis, Walter Reeh, Pauline Limsiaco, Leah Palacios, Jeff Chavez, and Julie Flores.

On Medicines and Eyeglasses: Jenny Lieu, Vivian Choy, Jean Paul Loa, Sue Fenwick, Christine Gordon, Sarah Fernandez, Rodner Advincula, Anne M. Flores, Tom Abada, Trish Wilson, Kristine Ann Serisola, Trish, Amanda, Anne Kat, Cheene, Belen. May Asentista, Maritess Ordinario and many others.

Some nurses and doctors coming from Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital Riverside Medical Center, Collegio De San Agustin, UNO-R, USLS, and from La Carlota City Health Office were assisting and facilitating the mission.

with report of Jun de los Reyes, Negros Daily Bulletin (NB)
photo credits: urbanangelsabroad[dot]wordpress[dot]com
reference: Urban Angels Abroad