Help Us Care for Our Beloved Grandpa, Lolo Rico, During His Critical Time
Dear friends, family, and compassionate supporters,
We humbly reach out to ask for your help during an incredibly challenging time for our family. Our beloved Lolo Rico has been hospitalized for a month now, since May 11, 2025, and has been in the ICU for more than two weeks. His condition remains critical, and his health has been steadily declining due to his ongoing battle with Alzheimer’s disease since 2019.
Adding to our grief, our dear grandmother, Mama Myrna, who also suffered from dementia, passed away on March 9, 2025, due to multi-organ failure. Their love and care for each other were the heart of our family, and losing her has left us all devastated.
Lolo Rico’s heartbreaking journey started when he was hospitalized in April 2025 due to severe UTI, high amounts of creatinine in his body, fecal retention, and an enlargement of his prostate. He was recently hospitalized again due to difficulty breathing caused by a lung infection. Shortly after being admitted, Lolo Rico had a stroke, causing him to become unconscious for several weeks. During this time, the doctors ordered many tests, such as labs, CT scans, X-rays, ultrasounds, and ECGs, to help determine why he was not waking up. In addition, Lolo Rico was referred to many other specialists, namely a pulmonologist and gastroenterologist, to assess and treat his other ailments. Lolo Rico finally woke up on 5/20 and his breathing improved, but the stroke left him nonverbal, unable to talk to his two daughters and son who live overseas.
Thankfully, Lolo Rico was transferred to a regular room after being in and out of the ICU. However, he has multiple bed sores and is currently undergoing multiple blood transfusions due to being anemic. He also has a bladder infection and suffered from a seizure. Since being admitted, Lolo Rico has become drastically thinner as a result of his condition and medications. The doctors have recommended putting a nasogastric tube (NGT) to help him gain weight.
Adding to his Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes, he requires specialized care and constant attention, which adds emotional and financial burdens on our family.
Despite our best efforts, the mounting medical expenses are overwhelming. As of June 14, 2025, our total hospital bill has reached PHP 1,733,918.45 (around USD 30,900), not including doctor’s fees yet, and these costs continue to grow as he remains hospitalized. Here in the Philippines, we do not have medical insurance to help cover these expenses, and we have been doing our best to pay the hospital bills upfront, but the financial strain is becoming impossible to handle alone.
We are sincerely asking for your support to help cover these ongoing medical expenses and ensure Lolo Rico receives the best possible care during this difficult time. Every donation, no matter how small, will make a tremendous difference and bring hope to our family.
Thank you for your kindness, prayers, and generosity. Your support means the world to us and will help us keep hope alive in this challenging journey.
With heartfelt gratitude,
The Esteves Family
PH DONATION DETAILS and other ways to donate:
BPI Savings Account- Lourdes E. Mijares
Acct No:1669395813
Gcash- Lorraine Mijares
Venmo- Rochella Gutierrez
@RochellaG
