Derry uncle and aunt seek support for niece’s scoliosis surgery in Philippines

Shiella Mae Daque Pagaran, who will turn 13-years-old on April 2, is the niece of Adwin and Christina Pagaran, who live in Derry.

She was recently diagnosed with the condition and has been told she needs surgery in May.

The surgery will have to be funded by her family, as health care is not free in the Philippines and will cost the equivalant of £18,000.

Shiella is the only daughetr of Mr Pagaran’s brother, Mr. Glenn Wendell Paluga Pagaran and Mrs. Shirley Daque Pagaran and he has set up a Go Fund Me fundraiser ‘in desperation’ to help pay for his beloved niece’s surgery.

Speaking to the Journal, Christina Pagaran, who works locally as a nurse, said they are hoping to raise as much money as they can to help Shiella, who is decribed as a ‘soft spoken and compassionate’ girl who loves to learn.

The family has been told that if the young girl does not have the surgery, she will experience breathing difficulties. Fifty percent of the cost has to be paid before the operation. Mr Pagaran said his colleagues at Du Pont have already been a big support and any donation would be very gratefully received.

In the Go Fund Me page, they outline how Shiella, who lives in Barangay Anakan, Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, Philippines is currently a Grade 7 student at Christ the King College.”

She values her studies and pays close attention to ‘all matters regarding school.” She wants to be a teacher and have her own business.

“At a young age, she is full of hopes and dreams for a bright future.”

“Lately, unexpected events regarding Shiella’s health seems to thwart her overall well-being. We found out upon her first check-up at Capitol

University Medical Center, DO last December 22, 2021 that there is a rightward deviation from T3 to L2 with apex at T8- T9 and Cobb’s angle of 51.6 degree. She was diagnosed to have Scoliosis.

“We seek a second opinion at Davao Doctors Hospital last February 12, 2022 resulting to a findings of 59.79 degree with convexity to the right , still

diagnosed as Scoliosis by her referring physician, Dr. Ronald P. Tangente. As a result of these confirmed diagnosis and increasing

degree of convexity, we are advised that she will undergo an operation/surgery. This is because if the curvature will continue to progress this will cause her to experience difficulty in breathing since her lungs will be greatly affected of the curvature. This saddened all of us, since we don’t want her to experience further suffering from her present condition.”

You can donate to the Go Fund Me at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-my-niece-shiela-mae-daque-pagaran