Basic Space
kfelix@theguidon.com
Minutes after being circumcised, the boy bled profusely. They thought that it was just part of this rite of passage, that bleeding was normal. But when the bleeding did not stop, they had to rush the boy to the emergency room. When they finally knew what was going on, the realization came too late. The stretcher where the boy breathed his last was now stained with a pool of blood; one would not even notice that the stretcher minutes ago was pristine.
Had they known that the boy was one of 400,000 in the world, maybe they could’ve saved him. This story was just one of the many stories that should be told, but wasn’t due to the lack of an avenue. For almost one semester, we’ve been hearing similar stories about some of the 400,000 from the perspective of different people—from those who have the disorder, from the relatives of those who suffer from it, from the president of a support group, and even from an expert on the disorder. For almost one semester, we’ve been trying to come up with a model of a campaign that would entice those who do not have the disorder to support their cause. For almost one semester—for thesis—we’ve been dealing with hemophilia.
Only a few seem to know about hemophilia. I admit that initially, I only had a vague idea of what it was until we chose it as the subject of our thesis. Hemophilia is a genetic blood disorder affecting males, caused by the lack of clotting factors in the blood; thus, when hemophiliacs are injured and later on bleed, the bleeding does not stop. Hemophilia can be treated, but a permanent cure is unavailable to date. Treatment is also costly; one vial costs P4,500. However, the number of vials required per hemophiliac varies, depending on the affected person’s body mass. On average, a hemophiliac consumes four to five vials every time they need treatment. To make matters worse, most hemophiliacs are below the poverty line.
I am not coercing you to know more about the disease. I will not make a column that justifies why you should help out hemophiliacs despite their being a minority, despite the disease not affecting you in any way (hopefully). I am simply telling a story about a boy, and about 400,000 other people in the world who are undergoing the same thing if not given proper treatment. I will not say that I am giving voice to the voiceless, because they have a voice—there are just so many things happening that their being a minority renders them unable to communicate their cause, their plea. I’m sure the people in the support group for hemophiliacs wouldn’t have wanted to be under these circumstances where they ask for the public’s attention and hopefully for the public’s action. But they have to, for survival. They have to, because not all hemophiliacs can afford to have their bruises and cuts treated every time they bleed. All I want is for them to be in the limelight, even just in this column for a school publication. Because their stories deserve to be told. Because losing 400,000 others is still a significant loss.
