The Ruth Foundation

Hey everyone! I'm excited to share an inspiring story with you—J’s Journey with the Happy Room Project. This amazing initiative by TRF focuses on transforming patient bedrooms and personal spaces into clean, organized, and comfortable environments. It’s all about creating a more welcoming and uplifting space while involving Compassionate Communities too. Check out the full story here:

Transformation through Care: J’s Journey with the Happy Room Project — The Ruth Foundation In a heartwarming initiative to improve living conditions for 4-year-old J*, diagnosed with 4th Stage Gonadal Yolk Sac Tumor, volunteers and staff from The Ruth Foundation (TRF) have undertaken a remarkable Happy Room Project. J has been under TRF's care since April 6, 2024. Upon visiting his home

The Wishing Tree is a project by The Ruth Foundation, in partnership with the Supportive and Integrative Services of the Asian Cancer Institute.

It's here to encourage meaningful conversations about your healthcare wishes and to let you know about the Five Wishes advance directive document.

The Wishing Tree is now on display at Asian Hospital and Medical Center's Main Lobby up until the end of the month.

Let's learn about Compassionate Communities :) The Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network will be hosting their 3rd session of the 2024 Quarterly Webinar Series on 17 July 2024, 2:30-4 pm (Singapore time).

Please register for the session here:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Webinar: Compassionate Communities. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Come join us for the third session of our 2024 Quarterly Webinar Series! This time our topic will be on 'Compassionate Communities' held on 17 July 2024, 2:30-4:00 pm (Singapore time). We are honoured to have Professor Wang Yingwei (Taiwan) and Dr Seema Rao (India) as our speakers for this session!

Don't forget to register! https://go.ruth.ph/upregister . See you on June 25!

Join us this upcoming June 25, 2024 (Tuesday) at 4 PM via Zoom to learn more about Breaking the Bad News.

Register for FREE here: https://go.ruth.ph/upregister

We are thrilled to have had our wonderful volunteers, Kylie and Zaki, from The École Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (ESSEC) Business School in Singapore. These past four weeks of volunteering have been truly amazing!

Kylie and Zaki joined our home visits and became integral members of the Happy Room Project. They prepared thoughtful birthday cards and gifts for some of our patients, helped prepare and distribute meals for the Compassionate Community Kitchen, and brought hope and smiles to our patients and staff.

Kylie and Zaki, we appreciate you both so much! Thank you for all your hard work and dedication!

Today, we donated two (2) Hi-Flow Machines to the City Health Office of Muntinlupa, designated for the Palliative patients of Palliative Med Muntinlupa. We extend our gratitude to Dr. Juancho Bunyi (OIC), Dr. Leonor Tubon, and Joy Moldez for accepting the donation. Present at the turnover were Dr. Rana Mendoza, Babes Ayon, Dr. Nanette Cruz, and Nurse Eric Basiwa from The Ruth Foundation.

Join us this upcoming June 25, 2024 (Tuesday) at 4 PM via Zoom to learn more about Breaking the Bad News.

Register for FREE here: https://go.ruth.ph/upregister

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high (140/90 mmHg or higher). It is common but can be serious if not treated.

People with high blood pressure may not feel symptoms. The only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked.

Things that increase the risk of having high blood pressure include:
+older age
+genetics
+being overweight or obese
+not being physically active
+high-salt diet
+ drinking too much alcohol

Lifestyle changes like eating a healthier diet, quitting to***co, and being more active can help lower blood pressure. Some people may still need to take medicines.

Source: WHO

It is such a blessing to be able to donate two (2) Hi-Flow Machines for palliative and hospice care patients of the 10-bed capacity Hospice and Palliative Ward of the Philippine General Hospital.

We would like to thank the staff, fellows, and resident doctors of the Hospice and Palliative Ward of PGH, Division Head Dr. Andrew Ang, and Chairperson Dr. Karin Estepa-Garcia of the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

“To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived, this is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

We are grateful to all Health Workers! We appreciate you and all the work you do!

Leave your short notes in the comment section to cheer them on today :)

Cervical cancer develops in a woman's cervix (the entrance to the uterus from the va**na). Almost all cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact.

Although most infections with HPV resolve spontaneously and cause no symptoms, persistent infection can cause cervical cancer in women.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women. In 2018, an estimated 570,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and about 311,000 women died from the disease.

Effective primary (HPV vaccination) and secondary prevention approaches (screening for, and treating precancerous lesions) will prevent most cervical cancer cases.
When diagnosed, cervical cancer is one of the most successfully treatable forms of cancer, as long as it is detected early and managed effectively. Cancers diagnosed in late stages can also be controlled with appropriate treatment and palliative care.

With a comprehensive approach to prevent, screen, and treat, cervical cancer can be eliminated as a public health problem within a generation.

Source: WHO

Join us this upcoming April 30 (Tuesday) at 4 PM via Zoom to learn more about Principles of Palliative Care!

Register for FREE here: https://go.ruth.ph/regpc

It is never too late to learn about Colore**al Cancer and how to prevent it. Read The Medical Philosopher's article here:

Colore**al Cancer — The Ruth Foundation Colore**al cancer , also known as bowel cancer or colon cancer , is a type of cancer that starts in the colon or re**um. The colon and re**um are parts of the large intestine, which is responsible for the final stages of digestion and elimination of waste. Colore**al cancer usually begins as a gr

We'll be back on April 1 (Monday). Have a blessed Holy Week!

According to the World Health Organization Global Tuberculosis Report 2022, the Philippines is one of the top 10 countries that accounted for more than 90 percent reduction in case notification of people who are newly diagnosed with TB in 2021 compared with those in 2019.

Colore**al cancers (CRCs) are currently the third leading site of malignancy in the Philippines. The incidence of CRC cases has escalated from 5,787 in 2010 to 9,625 in 2015. Historical data estimate 3- and 5-year survival for colon cancer to be 38.1% and 33.9% and that of re**al cancer 31.3% and 20.0%, respectively.

Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7000227/

Such a blessing! Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)'s General Manager, Sir Melquiades Robles, awards The Ruth Foundation with 300K Php for its Institutional Partnership Program (IPP). This is received by TRF's Executive Director, Dr. Rana Mendoza, and General Manager, Ms. Babes Ayon.

“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.”
— Michelle Obama

Happy Women's Month!

The Asia Pacific Hospice Palliative Care Network will be hosting its 1st session of its 2024 Quarterly Webinar Series on 18 March 2024, 4-5:30 pm (Singapore time).

Topic: Spiritual Care in Palliative Care

Speakers:

Professor Linda Ross, Professor of Nursing, University of South Wales, UK

Professor Wilfred McSherry, Professor in Nursing, Dept. of Nursing, School of Health, Science and Wellbeing, Staffordshire University, UK

Register for the session here:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Webinar: Spiritual Care in Palliative Care. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Come join us for the first session of our 2024 Quarterly Webinar Series! This time our topic will be on 'Spiritual Care in Palliative Care' held on 18 March 2024, 4:00-5:30 pm (Singapore time) / 08:00 to 09:30 am (UK time). It will be a live 1.5 hour session with a Q&A segment at the end with the sp...

Sharing The Medical Philosopher's thoughts on understanding Palliative and Hospice Care here in the Philippines :)

Understanding Palliative and Hospice Care in the Philippines — The Ruth Foundation There is an end to cure; there is no end to care. Palliative and hospice care plays a crucial role in improving the quality of life of patients with life-limiting illnesses. This specialized form of care focuses on providing relief from the symptoms, pain, physical stress, and mental anguish assoc

National Cancer Awareness Month is held annually every February and aims to raise awareness about cancer and spread the importance of early detection, which is paramount to its prevention.

The ninth most frequent cancer in women and the fifth most common cancer in males both occur in the liver. Because liver cancer is frequently detected relatively late in its progression, the prognosis or outlook is poor. The illness often doesn't show any symptoms until the tumor has grown to at least 10 cm in size, at which point it has typically spread and is in an advanced stage. The majority of liver cancer patients pass away within a year of their diagnosis, and the illness has a five-year survival rate of fewer than 5% (if no therapy is started). The five-year survival rate for liver cancer is about 35%, even with therapy.

References:
https://doh.gov.ph/Health-Advisory/Liver-Cancer
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28893941/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5597741/

May the hope and joy that you have spread in the past come back to you on this day. TRF wishes you a very happy birthday, Doc Mae!

To cap off the week, sharing with you The Medical Philosopher's article, PEDIATRIC PALLIATIVE CARE: ADDRESSING THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF CHILDREN. Read it here:

Pediatric Palliative Care: Addressing the Complex Needs of Children — The Ruth Foundation One of the most difficult services to find in the Philippines is the provision of Pediatric Palliative Care. While there is a growing recognition of its significance in the past decade, integrating Pediatric Palliative Care into the healthcare system and providing access to it needs to improve. Ther