Give Cindy a Chance to Live Pain-Free

HELLO. I AM CINDY M. ENTIRA, 18 YEARS OLD, FROM LEYTE, LEYTE.

My dream ever since i developed a condition called Marfan Syndrome and Severe Scoliosis.

It all started when i was 14 years old during the pandemic. I slowly noticed it because of the changes in the shape of my body.

The first thing i noticed was the shape of my rib cage, it looked like it was pushing to the right. The second was my back, i noticed a small bump on my back. It was small at first, but as time passed it got bigger and more noticeable, especially when i wear fitted clothes. Even loose clothes can't hide it now.

The third was my uneven shoulders, one is higher than the other. The fourth was the posture of my neck, i noticed it is not straight, it seems to lean to the left, though it's not that obvious. The fifth is my uneven waist, same as my shoulders, one side is higher.

The worst part is what i feel.

The back pain is too much, sometimes you would think it's just normal pain, but it lasts for a whole day or even three days, depending on which part hurts. I get tired easily, even after just a few steps i am already tired and short of breath.

I cannot sit for a long time because my back hurts, and i cannot stand for long either because my whole body aches.

My movements are very limited because of my condition, I can only do what my body allows me to do.

Even managing to sleep is hard. I keep looking for a position where I am comfortable. It depends on the person who has the same condition as me. For me, i am more comfortable sleeping on my side, but sometimes because of the shape of my rib cage, i cannot stay in that position for long. I keep changing positions to find where i am more comfortable, it also depends on what bed i am sleeping on.

When it comes to my health, i really need to be careful because when i feel something wrong, everything is affected, my mental health, my physical health, and my symptoms keep changing, difficulty breathing, body fatigue.

On May 11, 2026, I was rushed to Ormoc District Hospital (ODH) because at home i suddenly could not breathe properly due to cigarette smoke and smoke from burning trash. I was confined at ODH for 16 days.

We went back for a follow-up check-up, but i was referred to EVMC Hospital in Tacloban to continue my treatment and to check my condition of severe scoliosis.

At EVMC Tacloban Hospital, i was confined for 19 days, 1 week of antibiotic treatment for my pneumonia. By God's mercy, it was treated immediately.

For my severe scoliosis case, it was difficult for us and for the doctors who checked me because my case is very complicated. After a long time of thinking and planning, the doctors decided that they would prioritize my safety and said it would be better if i go to Manila. They gave me a referral from EVMC Tacloban Hospital to continue my case at the Philippine Orthopedic Center (POC) in Quezon City.

From Leyte to Manila, we traveled even without enough money. The only money we had was the help from the DSWD of Leyte, Leyte for our fare to Manila.

On September 14, 2026, with only courage and hope that someone will help us in Manila, we went to the Philippine Orthopedic Center in Quezon City. There, the doctor said that the curvature of my spine is more than 90 degrees and i really need to have surgery. I need to have an MRI and CT Scan first before the operation.

Now we are still here in Quezon City. I am the patient myself, but my aunt is the one doing all the necessary things like the processes in the laboratory and others.

And there is already a quotation for the metal implant prescribed by the ortho for me, and we were shocked because of the price of the metal that will be placed on my back, it costs 572,000 pesos, and that is for the implants alone, not including others.

My aunt is the one walking and fixing everything, and others who help us, and my mama who is already a senior citizen, it's really hard for us on how we can overcome all of this and who we can approach to ask for help even little by little.

I still need to have an MRI and CT Scan, the MRI costs 23,000 pesos and the CT Scan costs 21,000 pesos.

That is why i really need help from you, even a small amount from your heart, everything can be done if there is money, but in my case, who has a kind heart that will have mercy on us and help us with our big problem of where to find a large amount of money especially for the operation.

We have no savings, we are just from the province and we only had the courage to go to Manila to get treatment and to have my condition treated early because they said there are many people we can approach for help, but it is not easy to get help immediately.

We get tired, we endure, we beg, we pray, we persevere, and the most important thing we should not forget is to hold on to the Lord's plan that we will get through this even though it seems difficult for us now.

Now i continue to fight and trust in the Lord that i may achieve my dream to get better and to have my back treated early because that is the only answer, even though there are only two choices in my surgery, to live or to die, but I trust God more because God said "Do not be afraid for i am with you" and "Do not be afraid, only believe."

In my case, it is really scary. There are times when I tremble and there are days when I just cry because I don't know where we will find help, especially when we are talking about money and my life.

I have been carrying this pain for 5 years and my condition is what makes my life so hard. Because of my condition, i had to stop studying and just focus on my fight, and my family's fight, who are always beside me, giving me strength to continue and not lose hope. But sometimes, in front of me, I see my mother worrying about the expenses and sometimes i even caught her crying.

It hurts so much as a child to see a parent crying because of my condition. It is painful to look at myself in the mirror, i cry, i feel hurt, and i have even asked the Lord why it has to be me, my suffering is already too much and so is my parents'.

I have even thought of giving up because the weight and the hardships i experience in life are too heavy. Sometimes i compare myself to others, I wish i just didn't have this illness. But everything changed because i became even closer to the Lord and continued to trust in his plan for me.

EXODUS 2:24

God say's " I SEE YOUR STRUGGLE AND I KNOW YOUR PAIN. YOUR BLESSINGS iS ON THE WAYS."

-Thank you for reading the story of my life and my fight against my condition, MARFAN SYNDROME AND SEVERE SCOLIOSIS.