How Dr. Erlyn touches lives

I am blessed to have been friends with Dr. Erlyn Demerre since she became Nanay’s cardiologist and mine, too. She has touched thousands of lives with her brilliance, compassion and kindness. She does things that go beyond her scope of work as a doctor.

Dr. Demerre is the founder and chairman of the board of EPCALM (Erwin Piedad Cabanag Adult Leukemia Memorial), a Christ-centered, non-stock, non-profit organization that reaches out to assist leukemia patients and their families. Her brother, lawyer Erwin Cabanag, was the city fiscal of Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental when he succumbed to leukemia on May 12, 2005 at the age of 45.

From then on, she made it her personal advocacy to help leukemia patients and their families. Dr. Demerre established the organization when she realized that no adult leukemia foundation existed in the Philippines. Today, the first adult leukemia foundation in the country is known as EPCALM Adult Leukemia Foundation of the Philippines, Inc.

From left: Linda Ley, Jonalyn Lim, this writer, Sheila Romero and Nikki Tang

With its mission to acknowledge that God is the Hope, the Healer, and the Provider, EPCALM aims to be a vehicle through which patients afflicted with leukemia will experience God’s love and faithfulness.

Likewise, its vision is to establish and be an internationally recognized center of excellence for spiritual, physical and emotional nourishment of leukemia patients as they journey towards wholeness. Upon the invitation of Dr. Demerre, I have become a strong believer and an ambassador of EPCALM.

I was immediately drawn to its advocacy when I heard about EPCALM through Dr. Demerre. I would eagerly participate in their meaningful activities every time Dr. Demerre invites me.

Recently, I moderated an interesting discussion that aimed in raising awareness on leukemia. This happened during the formal launch of the new coffee table book titled Color of Hope which, according to Dr. Demerre, underscores the heartwarming accounts not only of leukemia patients but also of the people around them.

From left: Justice and Erlyn, Sunny Ku and SM Malls CEO Steven Tan

“The book is actually a peek into the journey of the patients, their trials, their triumphs… and how people have been woven together into their lives to help them,” she said at the book launch held at the Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall.

Color of Hope came to life because of leukemia patients’ stories. The book tells the stories of Filipino leukemia patients who have overcome the battle with leukemia and those who continue to struggle. Celebrity supporters also shared how the disease has touched their lives and transformed their outlook about leukemia.

“We get amazed at all the life stories of our patients, so we were thinking, this has to be in a book so people will read and know. I look at it as a story written by God’s hands for the world to see, to hear, to believe that God is real,” shared Dr. Demerre.

Celebrity advocates Tirso Cruz III, Top Suzara, Pops Fernandez and Martin Nievera were present during the book launch as well as advocates Sunny Ku, Linda Ley, Jonalyn Lim, Sheila Romero, Nikki Tang, Ruby Tan and Sunny Vergara. All of them were part of the photo exhibit which was showcased during the launch.

Top photographer Mark Nicdao gives a Filipino face to leukemia through the riveting black and white photographs in the exhibit.

Martin has been a staunch supporter of EPCALM since 2013. He hopes the book would enlighten readers on the patients’ and their families’ fight against leukemia. “Whatever the word is that helps describe your situation, someone always has it worse than you do. So before you start complaining about traffic and all of the things you go through in life, common colds, my head hurts, my nose is not nice enough — these things don’t matter for the people who are suffering through leukemia,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pip shared, “We become part of the journey. I think that’s one of the most important things that we can really give. Give our heart and love to them.” Pip’s son, TJ, passed away last year due to cancer.

Color of Hope is published by ABS-CBN Books. Watch out for the release of Color of Hope online and in leading bookstores and newsstands nationwide. For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.

Like what I always say, thank you, Dr. Demerre. For all that you are and for all the things that you do for all of us and for the world.

The EPCALM office is located at Suite 341 Medical Arts Building, St. Luke’s Medical Center, 279 E. Rodriguez Blvd. Quezon City. You can e-mail at [email protected].