A pre-med classmate’s regular massage therapist, Joy, was in tears when she came to him for help.

Several days before Christmas, her 12-year-old daughter, Jam (she requested her real name not be used), a bright student and a University of Perpetual Help scholar with dreams of becoming a doctor,was savagely attacked by a rabid, big, wolf-like dog which came at her repeatedly, biting her in the legs badly. Brought to the Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center, the doctors had to amputate her right leg due to it being severely damaged beyond repair.

Jam had to have multiple injections of rabies antiserum and vaccine and will continue to have more injections to ensure she won’t get rabies, since the dog was found dead two days later. She is recuperating at home but due to their financial status, even that is an ordeal. Joy has to stop her work to be with Jam who can’t handle and accept what happened to her. She often breaks down and cries a lot, obviously suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the attack.

Our group has rallied to give financial contributions but she needs far more medical attention that is expensive. Our contributions were good enough to pay the balance of her hospitalization. Firstly, she will need to get fitted with a prosthesis so she can walk again unaided, to restore her sense of independence. While we are trying to find a source for the prosthesis, nothing is guaranteed at this point.

While healing physically from the wounds and waiting for a prosthesis, Jam needs psychological counselling urgently. She burned her old photos, probably not able to bear the thought that she will no longer be the same without her right leg.

Two weeks ago, a psychiatrist visited Jam and diagnosed her within the schizophrenia spectrum. Joy was likewise diagnosed with anxiety/depression and both were prescribed medications.

There is so much that is disturbing about this incident. First is the fact that up to now, we haven’t controlled the rabies problem in the Philippines that led to it. Hopefully, this will get the attention of our health and animal industry to finally solve a public health issue that I wrote about previously (Rabies kills, July 12, 2022). This time, the injuries sustained will require more than just routine rabies prophylaxis but will entail a long-term rehabilitation of the victim, starting with the prosthetic fitting and training to walk properly again. The psychological costs are enormous and she may never recover from the trauma if not treated properly.

What’s sad about Jam’s case is the way it dashed her dreams of becoming a doctor. She could be a future health secretary for all we know. But all is not lost. With the proper medical assistance and psychological support, Jam can still pursue her dream and come out a better person despite having suffered so much adversity in her young life.

The next issue is the lack of health financing for catastrophic events like hers. They had to sign promissory notes to be discharged from the hospital, from which Jam insisted she be discharged even against the advice of doctors because they couldn’t afford to stay longer. Now, she needs more medical care, rehabilitation and psychiatric support which will cost even more. But she will probably fall through the wide cracks in our medical system which is so deficient in providing a safety net for poor patients. As the victim of the scourge of rabid dogs which the government has failed to address, she deserves more focused attention by health authorities.

Another failing is in the way local governments operate. Jam is a resident of Las Piñas, but was denied assistance by the LGU because her mother Joy is not a registered voter of the city but rather of Parañaque. So, the logic is that only registered voters are entitled to local government assistance?

It also illustrates how catastrophic illness can instantly push a family into poverty. Joy and Jam are on subsistence mode, with Jam’s father dying a few years ago, leaving Joy to fend for both. Jam had tried to help by tutoring younger students but can no longer do so in her current condition. Joy herself also needs medical attention, suffering from enlarged tonsils which will need surgery. It is obvious they will be in survival mode for the foreseeable future.

Having no social safety nets, they have to be assisted which our class is doing but which is nowhere near enough. If you can, and want to help, they will surely appreciate it. To do so, please email me at [email protected] and I will provide you with Joy’s contact number for you to give help directly to Jam. God bless you for your caring and generosity.