Yet, a feeling of hope springs from her heart as the procedure may give her a new lease on life after a very trying period. The young girl is afflicted with aplastic anemia, a blood disorder which almost cost her life.

The procedure is scheduled to be performed at the Asian Hospital courtesy of Asian Hospital Charities, Inc. (AHCI), the hospital’s charity arm.

"Asian Hospital Charities Inc. is very happy to help Joyce Anne and her family," said Dr. Josephine Tuason, director of AHCI. "Her condition has sidelined her from school for the past three years. But the procedure will give her a new lease on life and we’d like very much to be a part of that."

Asian Hospital is one of the few hospitals in the country well equipped for bone marrow transplant procedures.

According to bone marrow transplant specialist Dr. Francis Lopez, aplastic anemia is characterized by an empty bone marrow. The marrow has stopped producing red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The decrease in red blood cells is making her anemic and the decrease in white blood cells is making her prone to infection.

The decrease in the number of platelets has also caused her to bleed.

Dr. Lopez explained, "They had two choices: one, have a bone marrow transplant; and two, let her take immunosuppressive drugs. These drugs react against cells in the immune system which destroy blood-producing bone marrow cells."

Since the immunosuppressive drugs cost less than the transplant, the Sarmientos opted for the drugs. Treatment also consisted of blood transfusions every four days at the hospital.

For a time, Joyce Ann seemed alright and was having less blood transfusions. Until, she had a relapse.

Apparently, the medications were not enough and she was no longer responding to treatment. Joyce Anne had no other alternative but to have the transplant and Dr. Lopez immediately started looking for someone whose bone marrow matched Joyce Anne’s bone marrow type.

Fortunately, they found a match in 25-year-old Reynald— Joyce Anne’s brother. He was to become his sister’s bone marrow donor.

"Being young and strong, the girl’s chances at survival are very good," revealed Dr. Lopez. "With intensive procedures such as bone marrow transplants, the younger the patient, the better." Joyce Anne just has to undergo the procedure as early as possible to prevent complications arising from her continuous transfusions.

Joyce Anne thanks Asian Hospital Charities, Inc., for their unwavering support. "I’m excited to go back to school and have a normal life again," she said. "That’s why I am glad that institutions like Asian Hospital Charities Inc. exist to support and assist patients like me."