Let's Help Larry Get a Bone Marrow Transplant

Larry Castro

To all my readers, a friend is knocking on our hearts. Larry is a very strong man, full of dreams and family-oriented. He still has got a lot of beautiful things he wants to do in his life. His strength is admirable. If we have some spare, please let's help him get a bone marrow transplant. If we know any organizations anywhere in the world, in the community or churches that could assist him, please forward this to them. UAE alone has more than 5 million active internet users. If we can tap every single user of at least 20% of that number, to donate at least a dirham, that would be more than enough. I believe that even the littlest things can do wonders.

Al Maya Group, thank you for your generous heart. They have shouldered the hospital expenses for Larry.

Here's what Larry had to say about what happened:

My name is Larry Castro, a 33-year-old,Filipino in Dubai currently suffering from Leukemia.Before I contracted this dreaded disease, I worked at Almaya, a UAE retailer, a shelf stocker at their Dubai Marina branch.
I have just one wish --that one day, I can turn back the hands of time that at least I tried to live a good fight...
My condition started with a simple fever in 2011,two years after I started losing weight. My gums started to bleed. I had on-and-off fever, I was rushed to Rashid Hospital in Dubai.The deafening truth struck me hard : the physician told me I was suffering from (AML) Acute Myeloid Leukemia, a common but deadly form of blood cancer if left untreated.

AML suffers, I'm told, are given only weeks or months to live as white blood cells.

On Oct.10, 2011, the day I was admitted, I cried upon learning the nearness of death.But I also hoped for something good -- a miracle -- to happen. I was not prepared financially.My salary was barely enough for my daily needs, let alone the hospital bills. My doctor recommended that I must undergo of chemotherapy immediate. Since then, I'd been lying in the Haematology Dept. (of Dubai Hospital) undergoing a series tests. The physicians advised me to undergo the 5th cycle of chemotherapy. During my confinement, I completed the 1st and 2nd cycles of chemo. These helped prolong my life. But only temporarily. Chemo may also damage my other heathy organs. I had episodes of confusion and agitation -- side effects of the treatement.
Doctors extracted a sample of my bone marrow to check the reaction of my 1st & 2nd chemo and sent it to Germany. This test confirmed my doctor's initial suspicion.This time, my doctor said I badly needed a BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT (BMT)
I told myself I'm not ready to let go my dreams go, to help my family live a confortable life. During my five-month confinement at Rashid Hospital (Oct. 10, 2011 to March 25, 2012), I went through five cycles of chemo.
I owe my strength to the undying help and prayers of doctors, nurses, friends from the church, my family,friends and relatives, especiall to my dearest friends.Upon discharge from Rashid Hospital on March 25, 2012, the physician advised me to have a monthly routine blood test check-up.
I'm extremely thankful to my company because they renewed my visa and also settled the Hospital bill -- the amount of which was Dh259,000.
Then, after a few days, I went back to work, with renewed vigour, hoping to start a new life.
Unfortunately, after one year and two weeks of my recovery, on April 7, 2013, I noticed one bruise on my right hand and felt pain in my gums again - the same symptoms I had before!
An hour after the check-up at Dubai Hospital, my physician said my platelet levels were dangerously low. On April 10, 2013, a bone marrow check was conducted to validate the unitial findings. The samples were again sent to Germany. I went back to work the next day. Four days later, in April 14, 2013, I was back in the hospital and the physician told me about results.
Thepronosis was poor - the bone marrow extract showed a condition condition consistent with relapsed AML. On the same day, they quickly inserted a Hickman Catheter on me to undergo chemotherapy. On April 15, I re-started on my first day of another chemo cycle which lasted until April 18, 2013.
Until now, I am waiting for my blood level to recover. A bone marrow sample will be extracted again to determine how many chemo treatements I need to undergo.

As I write this, I'm still here in Dubai Hospital, Haematology Dept., 7th floor, Room 10-B.
Sad to say, I don't know how to meet my financial obligations. And I don't know how and where to start, but I am positive.
Doctors said with finality that only a BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT can help me now for long-term recovery. But the cost for this treatement is prohibitive, upwards of Dh500,000.
Where will I get that money? How long must I wait -- and lose whatever healthy cells I'm left with -- to obtain the amount for a life-saving transplant?
Then an idea occurred to me: if I ask for help from those who dont know me, kindred spirits who might have nothing but charity to spare, perhaps it would help.
So I have a fervent appeal to you. Please help me to fight this disease. If you are unable to directly give, then perhaps you can someone who can.
It is a fervent appeal from someone who is down and out.
Every dirhams counts. It would mean the word to me. Your act of love will be a blessing for me. I will be forever grateful.

Please share this to friends. If social media can bring people together, I believe it can pull off a miracle too! GOD bless us all...
(My mobile no.
+971562633927
+971553010477 or Melanie
+971507007967.)
Your reward is in Heaven,
Larry Castro

He is right, if we can use social media to build up something, we can definitely use this as a venue to help. You may also connect with him on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/larry.castro.39.

"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn 

Barako Bull in Dubai for 2nd Al Shabab Club International Basketball Tournament

Barako Bulls Danny Seigle and Doug Kramer battle Rafi Reavis and Leo Najorda of SMC. Photo by Inquirer Sports

Filipino basketball fans will have another reason to troop to the basketball stadium as PBA team Barako Bull Energy Colas will compete in the 2nd Al Shabab Club International Basketball Tournament. Games begin on 17th May until 25th. Joining Barako in the tournament are clubs from Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, Kuwait, a UAE-based American club and host team UAE.

Danny Seigle, Doug Kramer, JC Intal, Jonas Villanueva and Alein Maliksi will have to battle it out with taller and heftier clubs from the region, which will be reinforced of at least 2 imports. Barako Bull will be parading their Governors Cup import, Mike Singletary.

They will face Al Ahly - Libya on their first assignment tomorrow, 17th May. Their next assignments are Al Zamalek - Egypt on Saturday, and Team Unity - USA on Monday. All games will be played 9pm at Al Shabab Sports Club. Tickets start at AED25 and available at the gates.

Quarterfinals matches will be announced after Sunday.

17 Reasons Why You Should Join LSE17 (Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program)

In addition to my experience with the pilot LSE program, I'd like to share with you 17 random reasons why you should join the next Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE17) program, and eventually become a social entrepreneur in the near future:

1. You don't want to be an employee forever
2. You want to bring out the leader in you and to develop your leadership skills
3. You want to learn how to better manage your personal finances
4. You want to connect with people who has the same mindset,  principles and goals
5. You have business ideas yet you're not sure how to transform them into reality
6. You want to meet people who will support your ideas and even help build those ideas
7. You want to be innovative and unique unlike most of the traditional businesses
8. You want to discover and unleash your hidden potentials, and become a well-rounded person
9. You want to be involved in an advocacy that reaches out to people
10. You want to learn various ways to invest your money
11. You want to raise your kids with entrepreneurial thinking
12. You want to be inspired by the successes of pioneer Filipino social entrepreneurs, and through the great lineup of speakers and lecturers - most from the Ateneo School of Government
13. You want to involve your family back home and provide them some ideas to start up with
14. You want to learn how and where to source support for your social business plan
15. You want to prepare yourself for the challenges that you may face when you jump into social entrepreneurship
16. You want to understand the ups and downs of being a social entrepreneur
17. You want to contribute in creating positive social changes in the community by providing solutions to social problems

If you can associate most of the items in the list to you, then  LSE is for you. To join the program, please read the details below:

Rejuvenated and Inspired... Thanks to LSE Dubai

All photos by Gus Erni and Aris "Eyecatcher"

Before I moved here in the UAE, I was actively involved in a dynamic volunteer youth organization, Voice of the Youth Network, that encourages the Filipino youth to believe in themselves in creating and promoting positive social changes and in making a difference in the country. (See this video) Little did I know that the advocacy we were doing can actually lead into social entrepreneurship.

All photos by Gus Erni and Aris "Eyecatcher"

Over the last 6 months, I've spent 9 Fridays schooling in the 1st Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship (LSE) program by Ateneo School of Government (plus another 3 days on online sessions).  LSE is a certificate course with 3 modules: Leadership, Financial Literacy and Social Entrepreneurship.  It is dedicated to Filipinos overseas to help develop leadership skills and financial management towards more sustainable economic development opportunities for ourselves and the community.

The program brings topnotch guest speakers, lecturers and motivators from Ateneo de Manila University and other LSE programs in other countries like Italy, Hong Kong and Belgium. They help us be molded into well-rounded individuals and groups. They inspire us to create effective social enterprise business plans that aim to address various problems particularly those affecting the marginalized sectors in the community here and in the Philippines.  Unlike the usual business ventures, social enterprises also measure success by achieving desired positive social changes.  The training gives us fresh ideas about leadership and how to equip ourselves with the right attitude towards becoming entrepreneurs. The program is very fitting here in Dubai as I don't see a lot of Filipinos running a business. It's a sad reality that most of us only consider employment as the road after graduating in college. Our culture has raised us with the common goal to graduate to find the best possible job, not to create the best possible business.  This has to change, and LSE is the right venue to initiate the change.  LSE has also taught us very valuable lessons about financial literacy, gave us better understanding on managing our finances and avoiding or overcoming roadblocks ahead.

All photos by Gus Erni and Aris "Eyecatcher"

All photos by Gus Erni and Aris "Eyecatcher"

At the end of the program, the class of 45 has submitted significant proposals that address various social issues like environment and recycling, sanitation, education, fish farming and agriculture, personal care and more.

All photos by Gus Erni and Aris "Eyecatcher"

We are inspired as we discovered how some pioneer Filipino social entrepreneurs were able to build their businesses while reaching out to the community at the same time. It has opened a golden door for me to network with like-minded people. This program has encouraged this first batch to spearhead a Filipino social enterprise revolution here in Dubai and soon back home. LSE is a realization that we can do business while responding to various identified needs of the society - and this brings greater fulfilment to me.

Thanks to the working committee behind LSE lead by Milen Aviles and Jasper Adviento, and to the whole team. You are superb! You have given more than what we all were expecting. You have changed the lives of the 45.

And to each and everyone in the batch, I've learned a lot from you. The friendship is a really special bonus.

LSE is fun, so watch out for the next one.  Did I say we have good food too? Thanks to Barrio Fiesta.