Appeal for boy, 3, suffering from rare blood disorder

By GLORIA BAUAI
A TODDLER will live to see another day, thanks to the public in Madang who showed up to donate blood.
Three-year-old Esthon Bog of Mis village in Madang suffers from thalassemia, a blood disorder characterised by fewer red blood cells and less hemoglobin in the body than normal.
Patients like Ethon need blood transfusion every month to live.
However, Esthon could not get his monthly blood transfusion after being told that the Modilon General Hospital’s blood bank, where he receives medical assistance from, was experiencing a shortage of blood.
Esthon’s haemoglobin (oxygen-carrying protein) had dropped to 3.8 as of last Thursday.
Esthon’s father, Buka Bog, fearing it may further drop, took to social media (Facebook) asking the public for their help donating blood, particularly those in the O blood group.
“We’ve had strangers coming to Modilon (hospital), calling Esthon’s name and donating blood; even students from the Divine Word University; and we are so grateful,” he said.
Bog explained that it was dangerous for Esthon if his hemoglobin dropped below 3.0 at any given time.
“The O blood is rare and most times we have difficulties looking for people with this type of blood,” he said.
Bog appealed to the public through Facebook platform, Esthon Bog Medical Appeal page, which he created to raise awareness of his son’s condition and seek assistance.
Esthon’s older brother, Jedidiah, passed away from the same condition in 2016.
He was five years old.
“I can’t bare the pain of losing another child,” Bog said.