Tahan-tahanan (Home Away from Home)

PHILIPPINES | Sunday, 13 January 2013 | Views [437] | View Smaller Image

Mitch (not his real name), another leukemia patient, plays telephone cups with a volunteer, during one of the regular play-therapy activities in Tahan-tahanan. The center relies substantially on support from foundations and charities, as well as volunteers who become members of the staff. According to the World Bank, healthcare in the Philippines is still troublesome, with only 35% of total healthcare expenditures allotted to public health.

Jen (not her real name), diagnosed with lymphoma, reads a storybook inside one of the dormitory rooms while waiting for her doctor's appointment. Four to five families share living quarters, making it quite cramped and uncomfortable. It does however establish a community feel, especially among the parents who are constantly chattering and sharing experiences as if in a PTA meeting.

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Patients playing with the toy MRI machine, a gift from one of the donors to familiarize the kids with medical equipment. Play-therapy with hospital-inspired toys eases the anxiety every time they undergo treatments. Although its location is a bit dark and somber (the basement level of the East Avenue Medical Center), the atmosphere instantly changes whenever you see kids running around laughing.

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Tahan-tahanan (Home Away from Home)

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