President’s Message
Greetings!
2020 will forever be etched in our memories as the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite the perils and difficulties all of us are enduring, Let’s Save the Brain Foundation, Inc. (LST Brain) remains committed to meeting the challenges of the changing landscape.
During the Annual Membership Meeting in March, a new set of Officers was elected as follows:
President Godfrey T. Robeniol, MD, FPNA
Vice President Ester S. Bitanga, MD, FPNA
Secretary Martha Lu-Bolanos, MD, FPNA, FCNSP
Treasurer Julette Marie F. Batara, MD, FPNA
Board Members
- Gadwin E. Handumon
- Lynne Lourdes N. Lucena, MD, FPCS, FAFNI
- Paul Matthew D. Pasco, MD, FPNA
- Jose Leonard R. Pascual V, MD, FPNA
- Marianne G. Quebral
The pandemic did not deter kind-hearted and generous benefactors from supporting LST Brain’s advocacy. This year we had over 50 donors who gave donations in cash, Grants, and kind that totaled PESOS ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED EIGHTY NINE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY EIGHT (Php 1,289,848.00). This enabled us to assist 56 indigent patients of the Dept. of Neurosciences, UP-PGH. The amount of assistance extended totaled PESOS ONE MILLION FORTY SEVEN THOUSAND NINETY EIGHT (Php 1,047,098.00) and 96% of these patients were discharged well.
We are also appreciative of the continued support of the Rotary Club Makati Premier District. Thanks to Carol Mercado’s initiatives, 13 bedside monitors were turned over to the Department on June 11, 2020. And on October 12, 2020 38 3M half-face respirators and 114 filters were donated as well. All these will keep the consultant and resident frontliners of the Department safe and well.
So many lives have been lost due to COVID-19 and the fight against this deadly virus is still ongoing. But this has not stopped LST Brainfrom helping indigent patients who continue to stream into PGH for various neurological conditions. Thanks to our members, residents, volunteers and benefactors, the Foundation is able to fulfill its commitment to be a bridge between those in need and those willing to help.
Stay safe and well.
Godfrey T. Robeniol, MD, FPNA
President
Programs
Patient Welfare Fund
While doctors at the UP-PGH, Department of Neurosciences, do not charge a professional fee to the patients, other needs such as medicines, devices, supplies for laboratory tests, and procedures have to be funded. This is where Let’s Save the Brain’s Patient Welfare Fund comes into play by providing financial assistance to indigent patients who, more often than not, cannot afford such costly medical care.
Table 1. Patient Welfare Fund beneficiaries for 2020 and the assistance extended
| 2020 | DATE | PATIENT NAME | AGE | OUTCOME | PARTICULARS | AMOUNT GIVEN |
| 1 | 01/15/2020 | Shine Y. | 8/F | Survived | CSF Nmda | 4,000.00 |
| 2 | 02/04/2020 | Anita L. | 33/F | Survived | serum aquaporin 4 antibody | 15,000.00 |
| 3 | 02/05/2020 | Basilica P. | 86/F | Survived | Shiley 6 | 2,000.00 |
| 4 | 02/06/2020 | Lara E. | 50/F | Survived | Aneurysm clip | 10,000.00 |
| 5 | 02/14/2020 | Roberto A. | 23/M | Survived | Anti NMDA assay | 12,000.00 |
| 6 | 02/24/2020 | Dianne T. | 18/F | Survived | serum cerulplasmin, 24hr urine copper | 7,200.00 |
| 7 | 03/10/2020 | Antonio V. | 40/M | Expired | External Ventricular Drain | 10,000.00 |
| 8 | 03/13/2020 | Lizbeth F. | 7/F | Survived | External Ventricular Drain | 10,000.00 |
| 9 | 03/19/2020 | Kyle M. | 20/M | Survived | Vancomycin | 2,700.00 |
| 10 | 03/19/2020 | Richard A. | 31/M | Survived | Vancomycin | 2,700.00 |
| 11 | 03/19/2020 | Chollen F. | 19/F | Survived | Vancomycin | 3,800.00 |
| 12 | 03/19/2020 | Julieta S. | 70/F | Survived | Vancomycin | 3,700.00 |
| 13 | 03/19/2020 | Donna P. | 30/F | Survived | Vancomycin | 2,600.00 |
| 14 | 03/25/2020 | Kristine Joy A. | 34/F | Survived | Equipment (suction machine nebulizer) | 6,500.00 |
| 15 | 03/31/2020 | Dennis F. | 35/M | Survived | Equipment (suction machine nebulizer) | 4,700.00 |
| 16a | 05/19/2020 | Cherry N. | 40/F | Survived | Equipment (portable O2 tank, O2 gauge, pulse oximeter,suction catheters) | 4,900.00 |
| 16b | 05/30/2020 | Cherry N. | 40/F | Survived | Acetylcholine receptor antibody test | 8,000.00 |
| 17 | 06/30/2020 | Dave M. | 12/M | Survived | Adult sized ambubag, 25kgs hospital-grade 02 tank | 6,000.00 |
| 18 | 08/21/2020 | Mark D.A | 2/M | Survived | Becker EDMS | 9,900.00 |
| 19 | 09/28/2020 | Alija S. | 4/F | Survived | External Ventricular Drain | 9,000.00 |
| 20 | 10/19/2020 | Mark R. | 13/M | Survived | Epilepsy genetic testing panel DNA extraction via UPM-NIH MolGen lab | 13,000.00 |
| 21 | 11/27/2020 | Pablo Jr. S. | 60/M | Survived | CSF MTB/Rif/GeneXpert | 2,500.00 |
| 22 | 12/07/2020 | Achiles B. | 38/M | Survived | External Ventricular Drain | 10,000.00 |
| 23 | 12/07/2020 | Nicole A. | 7/F | Survived | VP Shunt | 13,500.00 |
| 24 | 12/14/2020 | Marcus A. | 10/M | Survived | External Ventricular Drain | 10,000.00 |
| 25 | 12/23/2020 | Reymon S. | 14/M | Survived | 24 hr urine copper, serum ceruloplasmon | 3,425.00 |
| 26 | 12/31/2020 | Madonna J. | 44/F | Expired | CSF Viral Panel 4 | 7,000.00 |
| TOTAL | 194,125.00 |
M.T. Cheng Fund for Infants
Thanks to the continuing supported of Mrs. MT Cheng, since January 2018 the lives of infants from 0 to 12 months are being saved, assuring normal development and a bright future for many of them.
Table 2. MT Cheng Fund for Infants beneficiaries for 2020 and the assistance extended
| 2020 | DATE | PATIENT NAME | AGE | OUTCOME | PARTICULARS | AMOUNT GIVEN |
| 1 | 01/15/2020 | Freya N. | 3mos/F | Survived | VP Shunt | 8,500.00 |
| 2 | 03/10/2020 | Maxine T. | 1/F | Survived | VP Shunt | 13,500.00 |
| 3 | 03/10/2020 | Jhoncel A. | 7mos/M | Survived | VP Shunt | 13,500.00 |
| 4 | 03/10/2020 | Baby B. | infant/F | Survived | VP Shunt | 13,500.00 |
| 5 | 12/07/2020 | Caleb C. | 1/M | Survived | External Ventricular Drain | 10,000.00 |
| TOTAL | 59,000.00 |
Dystonia Initiative Fund
The PGH Adult Neurology Outpatient Department (OPD) receives a significant number of patients complaining of dystonia, a movement disorder. These indigent patients have difficulty funding diagnostic procedures such as neuroimaging and genetic testing. The commute to PGH for their follow-up and botulinum toxin injections, in addition to their medications, are already considerable financial burdens. As a result, a lot of them are lost to follow-up without even having definitive diagnosis and treatment. Among these patients are possible cases of X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism (XDP), a disease endemic to our country.
This Program has been funded by Allergan International Foundation since 2015.
Table 3. Dystonia Initiative beneficiaries for 2020 and the assistance extended
| 2020 | DATE | PATIENT NAME | AGE | OUTCOME | PARTICULARS | AMOUNT GIVEN |
| 1 | 01/22/2020 | Roan B. | M | Survived | MRI procedures w/ courier fee | 11,860.00 |
| 2 | 02/10/2020 | Herbert A. | M | Survived | Cranial MRI Plain at Tesla | 7,840.00 |
| 3 | 02/10/2020 | Fernando T. | 32/M | Survived | Cranial MRI at Cardinal | 9,800.00 |
| 4 | 02/10/2020 | Jeffrey G. | 34/M | Survived | Cranial MRI at Cardinal | 9,800.00 |
| 02/13/2020 | Land travel expenses to evaluate patients in Gensan | 2,774.56 | ||||
| 5 | 02/19/2020 | Michael M. | M | Survived | Cranial MRI Plain at Cardinal | 2,000.00 |
| 6 | 02/27/2020 | Clarence R. | M | Survived | Cranial MRI w/ DWI w/ contrast & O2 cannula fee | 14,900.00 |
| 7 | 06/06/2020 | Nelly D. C. | 58/F | Survived | Plain Cranial MRI w/ MRA | 9,000.00 |
| 8 | 07/02/2020 | Arlene P. | 23/F | Survived | MRI | 14,600.00 |
| 07/27/2020 | Air travel to Gensan 2/9/2020 to evaluate patients | 39,296.16 | ||||
| 9 | 09/03/2020 | Rg C. | 12/M | Survived | Thoracolumbar MRI w/ GAD | 24,455.00 |
| 10 | 09/03/2020 | Mark Laurence R. | 46/M | Survived | IGS guidance | 6,500.00 |
| 11 | 09/21/2020 | Marites G. | 50/F | Survived | MRI w/ MRA GAD c/o FMAB | 17,000.00 |
| 12 | 09/26/2020 | Joshelle Leigh D. | 26/F | Survived | Cranial MRI w/ GAD | 10,000.00 |
| 13 | 11/04/2020 | Wilma O. | 52/F | Survived | Image guided studies | 7,500.00 |
| 14 | 11/09/2020 | Noel T. | 40/M | Survived | Image guided studies | 8,000.00 |
| 15 | 11/16/2020 | Mike P. | 23/M | Survived | Image guided studies | 8,500.00 |
| 16 | 11/16/2020 | Lemeul P. | M | Survived | Cranial MRI at Cardinal | 8,640.00 |
| 17 | 11/19/2020 | Datu M. | 25/M | Survived | Image guided studies | 8,000.00 |
| 12/31/2021 | genetic testing sent to Germany via courier services | 4,966.00 | ||||
| TOTAL | 225,431.72 |
Annika Tan Memorial Fund
Established in March, 2017 in memory of Annika Gabrielle Tan who died of a ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM) at the age of 13, this fund is utilized solely to purchase clips for patients with aneurysms that require this type of neurosurgical intervention.
Table 4. Annika Tan Memorial Fund beneficiaries for 2020 and the assistance extended
| 2020 | DATE | PATIENT NAME | AGE | OUTCOME | PARTICULARS | AMOUNT GIVEN |
| 1 | 01/31/2020 | Marites R. | 56/F | Survived | Aneurysm clip | 3,000.00 |
| TOTAL | TOTAL | 3,000.00 | ||||
C. Huang Memorial Fund for Brain Tumors
The C. Huang Fund, a Program established in 2019, is restricted to patients with brain tumors. This came from family and friends of the late C. Huang whose children requested that donations be made to our Foundation in lieu of flowers.
Table 5. C. Huang Memorial Fund beneficiaries for 2020and the assistance extended
| 2020 | DATE | PATIENT NAME | AGE | OUTCOME | PARTICULARS | AMOUNT GIVEN |
| 1 | 02/03/2020 | Juan Johanne H. | 46/M | Survived | IGS guidance | 6,500.00 |
| 2a | 02/10/2020 | Kensheen R | 9/F | Survived | External Ventricular Drain | 9,000.00 |
| 3 | 02/11/2020 | Jeffrey M. | 41/M | Survived | MRI w/ Gad, MRS, IGS Protocol | 20,000.00 |
| 2b | 09/16/2020 | Kensheen R | 9/F | Survived | EVD (Becker) 2 | 19,000.00 |
| 4 | 09/29/2020 | Eunice S. P. | 11/F | Survived | Duragen 4×5 | 21,000.00 |
| 5 | 10/21/2020 | Jeoffrey L. | 42/M | Survived | Image guided studies | 6,000.00 |
| 6 | 11/02/2020 | Marcus Von A. | 10/M | Survived | External Ventricular Tube | 9,000.00 |
| 11/11/2020 | Survived | purchased of chemo medicines | 270,000.00 | |||
| 7 | 12/31/2020 | Rom Jed G. | 32/M | Survived | neuronavigation/image guidance machine fee (brainlab) | 8,000.00 |
| TOTAL | 368,500.00 |
F. Pangan Memorial Fund for Dystonia Researches & Publications
The F. Pangan Memorial Fund is a program established in 2019 which is restricted to researches and publications on dystonia emanating from the Dept. of Neurosciences, UP-PGH.
Table 6. F. Pangan Dystonia Research Fund Disbursements for 2020
| 2020 | DATE | PATIENT NAME | AGE | OUTCOME | PARTICULARS | AMOUNT GIVEN |
| 1 | 02/19/2020 | Article Processing fee (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA 2/12/2020) | 75,342.00 | |||
| TOTAL | 75,342.00 |
Activities
On September 19, 2019 the Memorandum of Understanding, Global Grant #2094175 between Rotary Club of Makati Century City, “Host Sponsor” and Rotary Club of Cheonan Chungnam, “International Sponsor” was signed with UP-PGH for 13 bedside monitors for the Dept. of Neurosciences
On June 11, 2020 the 13 monitors were officially turned over to the Dept.of Neurosciences, UP-PGH thru Let’s Save the Brain Foundation, Inc.
Thank you to the Rotary Club Makati Premier District members Carol Mercado, Ravi Daryanani, Mike Advani and Hazel Zuellig for these 3M half-face respirators and filters that are keeping us safe during this pandemic.
Cheers to Rotary! Serving humanity amid a terrible crisis!
Cheers to Rotary! Serving humanity amid a terrible crisis!
LST Brain Board Meetings in the time of COVID!
