'National Pancake Day' launched for kids with cancer

MANILA, Philippines — About seven years ago, a 13-year-old boy, Charm Mercado, was an avid skater. He had high hopes and dreams as he maneuvered his board across platforms and ramps. Then one day, his knees just suddenly collapsed. He was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, or bone cancer.

“Nalugmok ako sa word na ‘cancer’ sa age kong 13. Sobrang naiyak talaga ako (I cried hard when I heard the word ‘cancer.’ I was only 13),” Charm shared.

“There was I time I cursed God. I told Him, ‘Meron pa naming mga magnanakaw d’yan, mga mas masasamang tao, bakit sa’kin pa nangyari ito? May galit ka ba sa’kin, God?’ (‘There are thieves, worse people than I am, but why did this happened to me? Are you mad at me, God?’).”

Similarly, Carmina Lyn Gomez was 17 when she was struck by leukemia. “I was depressed when I discovered I got cancer. It got my family into a deep financial problem, which got worse when my dad died while I was under chemotherapy,” she recalled.

As cancer patients, Charm and Carmina experienced not only physical weakness, but also psychological weakness or a general feeling that they were weaker than those who do not have cancer. They also felt hopeless and discriminated.

According to Kythe Foundation, a non-government organization helping mostly poor kids aged two to 18 with cancer, around 80 to 100 Filipino children with cancer go to the foundation’s partner hospitals every day. Out of these 80 to 100, about more than 60 survive and even become cancer-free, said the foundation’s Partner Relations Manager, Karen Rivera.

Leukemia, Rivera noted, is the leading type of cancer among the children they treat. Also known as cancer of the blood, leukemia is usually inborn or is in the genes, but it gets triggered more by a weak immune system brought about by malnutrition and poverty, explained Rivera, a registered nurse.

Every child with cancer needs an average of P200,000 for treatments, she said. To be able to help children and their families to get through the expenses, Kythe has an adopt-a-patient program wherein donors can pledge to donate P5,000 to P6,000 a month.

As a parent himself, Global Restaurant Concepts CEO Archie Rodriguez feels the pain pediatric cancer patients and their families go through, which is why for a third year in a row, Rodriguez has spearheaded the launch of National Pancake Day in his company’s IHOP restaurant chain in the Philippines.

On March 7, all IHOP restaurants in the Philippines will once again join locations throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam and Mexico in celebrating "National Pancake Day," which has become the company's unique and beloved tradition.

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, the chain will be offeri guests the opportunity to enjoy unlimited servings of the restaurant chain’s renowned buttermilk pancakes, which will sell in the Philippines for P250. P200 out of the P250 generated from those pancakes will once again be donated to the Kythe Foundation, which provides children with cancer and chronic illnesses the chance to learn, play, and grow while in treatment, even if they are in the hospital.

National Pancake Day began in the United States in 2006 and in the past decade has raised $20 million for children’s health charities in the local communities.

“Last year... with the public’s generous and kind hearted support, was able to raise nearly P400,000 for the Kythe Foundation charity through our National Pancake Day initiative. This year, we are once again elated to take part in IHOP’s arguably most popular and clearly most impactful tradition,” said Rodriguez, who hopes to raise a total of P500,000 this year for Kythe.

The donation, said Rivera, will go a long way in helping kids with cancer not only with their treatments and medications, but also in improving their quality of life.

In fact, this summer, the kids are looking forward to their out-of-town camping, where they can rejuvenate and hope for better things to come, Rivera enthused.

Through Kythe, Carmina, now 26 years old, said she got more hope and strength to undergo treatment. Like her, Charm, who is now 22, recovered from his condition through the foundation’s help. They are now both cancer-free and are working full-time for the foundation to help other kids survive the Big C.

They are astounded at how even simple things, such as eating pancakes, can help save lives.

Cancer survivors Carmina Lyn Gomez (second from right) and Charm Mercado (rightmost) join other Kythe Foundation members and IHOP Philippines officials as they launch "National Pancake Day" for the benefit of pediatric cancer patients. Philstar.com/Deni Rose M. Afinidad-Bernardo