LEGAZPI CITY: When Desiree Valencia was two years old, her mother, Celerina, noticed that something was not quite right.
Unlike kids her age, Desiree seemed to tire more easily. She was also prone to frequent respiratory infections. After a series of tests and doctor consultations, Celerina was told what every mother dreads to hear: Desiree has a hole in the heart, a congenital heart problem known as a ventricular septal defect (VSD).
As the hole occurs in the wall that separates the heart’s two lower chambers, the best option is to perform surgery.
“For three years, we went back and forth to Manila to line up at the Philippine Heart Center for my daughter’s surgery until the lockdown due to the pandemic forced us to come home to Caramoan, Camarines Sur in 2020,” the 41-year-old single mother said in the vernacular.
Not one to easily give up, Celerina turned to social media.
“I posted on my Facebook account asking for recommendations for a pediatric cardiologist. Out of the many referrals, the name of Dr
. Eloisa Claveria-Barrion stood out, so I tried everything to get in touch with her,” Celerina said.
After two years of regular check-ups and close monitoring, Desiree finally had the life-changing VSD patch closure open-heart surgery on March 29, 2023, at the Cardiac Center of the Bicol Medical Center (BMC) in Naga City.
“I am just very grateful to Dr. Claveria-Barrion and to BMC for all their help. Desiree had her operation without us paying a single cent,” the devoted mother said.
“Now, she (Desiree) is able to do the things that she once found exhausting. She can now live a normal life,” she added.
Making a difference
As the head of BMC’s Cardiac Center, which was established in October 2021 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Claveria-Barrion said giving children with heart defects the opportunity to reach their full potential has become her mission in life.
“Unlike adults, kids have difficulty expressing pain, so it is really important that doctors recognize their pain to be able to give a
ppropriate medical interventions,” Claveria-Barrion said in a mix of English and Filipino.
As the only pediatric interventional cardiologist in the Bicol region, a medical doctor who treats heart conditions using minimally invasive procedures, she disclosed that the hefty cost of the treatment remains a major deterrent for kids with cardiovascular problems from accessing treatment.
“In some cases, it only takes a 30-minute procedure using medical closure devices to repair the hole in the heart. The biggest problem, however, is money,” the doctor said.
“I realized that I cannot simply sit comfortably and do nothing while they continue to suffer because they do not have the means,” she added.
In 2022, Claveria-Barrion initiated a dialogue with the San Diego Medical Association in California, particularly the Filipino-American Association of Doctors and Nurses, to secure funding for a cardiovascular surgical mission.
With the initial PHP200,000 grant provided to the BMC, this 52-year-old doctor was able to
perform medical treatments on 23 kids, with some requiring surgical closures and others only catheter-based closures in March 2023.
“We need to ensure that these kids are able to return to society and lead normal lives. Who knows, one of them might be the next president of the country,” she said with a glimmer in her eyes.
Accessible cardiovascular care
With the establishment of the BMC Cardiac Center, Bicolanos no longer need to travel to Metro Manila for their cardiovascular treatment.
Manned by competent staff and equipped with state-of-the-art medical apparatus and hospital equipment, the center remains committed to being at the forefront of cardiovascular care in the region.
While the center has achieved incredible feats in such a short span of time since its establishment, Claveria-Barrion knows that she cannot simply sit on her laurels.
Right now, this La Salle-educated doctor, who was trained as a pediatrician and cardiologist at the BMC and Philippine Heart Center, respectively, is conducting a
series of training for doctors in 22 rural health units and nine hospitals to empower them to provide the best possible care to their patients.
The center will also hold another cardiovascular surgical mission this July.
“As doctors, we want to be instruments of God to help kids with heart defects live their full lives,” she said.
Source: Philippines News Agency
