US soldiers donate blood for 3-year old girl

(Zamboanga City/28 March 2006)--Four soldiers of the United States Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF) yesterday morning donated to the Blood Bank of the Zamboanga City Medical Center to help save a 3-year old girl suffering from anemia with respiratory distress complications.

Frail Donneth Silo of Kauswagan, Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte, has been confined at ZCMC for the past week after Siocon hospital authorities have recommended her admission to a Zamboanga hospital following a diagnosis of respiratory distress. ZCMC attending pediatrician Dr. Ben Jason Caranay said the girl has bee suffering from on-and-off fever for the past three weeks and a week-long cough. "She was seen with respiratory distress, crackles in both lung fields and was grossly pale. She was admitted having typhoid fever, pneumonia and anemia, covered with ceftrizone," Caranay said.

"For the past week, we have been looking for blood donors with that type of blood, as she is RH negative, which is found mostly among Caucasians. Most Filipinos and other Asians are RH positive," Caranay added.

Donneth's parents are Ralph Deconti of Pensyllvania, USA and Hilda Silo of Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte, who have accordingly met in Manila and are now living separate lives. She was brought to Zamboanga by her mother's siblings, Rosary and Joe Silo.

The Silo family are most thankful to the American soldiers for the immediate response following a request directed towards Dr. Pat O'Neil of the JSOTF. "Maraming salamat talaga sa mga sundalong Amerikano. 'Yung dugo lang ang hinihintay namin, kasi kung wala talagang makuhang dugo na A-, 'di na kami tatagal pa sa Zamboanga (We were just waiting for the blood, because if we could not secure A- blood, we would no longer stay longer in Zamboanga)," Rosary Silo said.

Dr. Caranay further explained that had the family insisted on discharging the child as against medical advice, the child would have suffered worse complications and an enlarged heart. Caranay himself was most thankful to the US soldiers for the blood donation of 450cc A- each. The blood transfusion was immediately set for Donneth, who is also found to have a global developmental delay and a congenital esotropia.

"We are proud of these American people who donated blood to help a stranger, and us here. We have long been looking for RH negative because it is very rare in the region," Blood Bank Chief Linda Bumotal said.

Yesterday's Blood Bank donors are David Bombard of the US Marines, Jeff Simpson of the US Navy, Michael Light and Robert Saiz of the US Army. They were brought to the ZCMC by Frank Weston Thompson of the JSOTF-PF medical team. (Frencie L. Carreon)