Victor Corpuz III
It only takes one chance to be a child, one chance to enjoy life as much as you could. That is what Victor Corpuz III is doing, a grade 4 student of San Manuel elementary school. He is enjoying his time playing with his classmates until one of them accidentally kicked his scrotum. He felt the pain so he went home and told his grandmother what happened but his grandmother didn’t bother to take him to the hospital she thought the pain will soon subside. The child continued his life normally until the pain in his scrotum bothered him again so his grandmother decided to take him to the hospital. Doctors said he has to undergo orchiectomy, so he went on with the procedure on February 1, 2007 and then he undergone a biopsy which revealed a malignant tumor called seminoma. He went for his second operation on March 2, 2007. He was confined at Tarlac Provincial Hospital in the last week of March to have his chemotherapy.
For six months he was undergoing chemotherapy until the first week of August, 2007. He is very happy because the pain of going through the procedure is finally over. He also told us that his birthday is coming up, August 8 and this would be a pleasant gift for his birthday, thus he went home thinking that he can continue his life, his dreams and his plans until the last week of September when he keeps on complaining about pains in his stomach so of they went to the hospital again for check up. After several check ups and ultra sounds, it once more revealed a tumor in his stomach that should be removed. They scheduled the operation on the 9th of October 2007. Victor’s mother who works as an OFW in the Middle East arrived straight from the airport to be beside her son who will undergo his 3rd operation. Before the said operation you’ll notice Victor always doing the sign of the cross, praying silently in his bed. His grandmother told us that Victor has high hopes on the outcome of the operation because he said that when he was over and done with all the procedures he’ll take care of his grandmother and when he’s old enough top to have a job his mother wont go back to the Middle East to work. Inside the operating room doctors opened his stomach and saw that it was full of tumors that if removed would only endanger the life of the patient. The doctors informed child’s family about the situation. They said that Victor would only live for a month because his cancer cells have already metastasized and they have a 50/50 chance with chemotherapy. The family didn’t know what to do so the Kythe coordinators talked to them about the situation, they told them the pros and cons of the situation. The family came up with the decision of taking the risk to under chemotherapy again but the child refused, he told his grandmother and parents that he is already tired of all the procedures his going through and he wants to go home to be with his friends and family. Respecting the child’s decision they went home with the fear that one of these days Victor would soon be leaving them. And so, November 20, 2007 Victor Corpuz III passed away leaving his family and friends behind.