Mayor Isko visits PH's first successful pediatric liver transplant patient at UP-PGH
A nine-year-old boy diagnosed with biliary atresia became the patient of the country's first successful pediatric liver transplant performed in a government hospital, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso announced on Tuesday, Nov. 18.
Domagoso visited the boy at the UP Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) where the procedure was carried out. UP-PGH Director Dr. Gerardo "Gap" Legaspi and UP Manila Chancellor Dr. Michael Tee were present during his visit.
Biliary atresia is a rare, congenital liver disease in infants where the bile ducts are scarred and blocked, preventing bile from flowing from the liver to the intestine. This causes a buildup of bile that leads to liver damage and scarring (cirrhosis).
According to the city government, the operation was funded through the P30 million raised by the mayor, which he donated to UP-PGH to support life-saving pediatric surgeries.
In 2019, Domagoso helped pool more than P30 million for UP-PGH through donations from private companies, philanthropic partners, and his talent fees during his endorsement and modeling stint.
A substantial portion of the fund was earmarked for children with liver diseases, with PGH targeting to send several young patients abroad for more affordable liver transplant procedures.
Meanwhile, the remaining half of the donation supported chemotherapy for pediatric cancer patients, with treatment costs ranging from P120,000 to P500,000 per child.