Each victory in life is very satisfying especially if you have been victorious by overcoming your life long battles with your own demons.
The demons that I’m talking about are death-bringing illnesses like cancer, epilepsy, congenital heart disease, tuberculosis, diabetes, heart problems and more.
In 2016, JO his nickname hit his head on his bed’s headboard leaving a dark-colored bruise on his face. Something like Hematoma when blood is being collected outside of blood vessels leaving a discolored mark, this usually occurs when you hit a part of your body.
Jo’s parents took him to the hospital to do some tests and then they were sent home. Suddenly, they got a call from their family doctor to bring Jo to the emergency room and that was the time they figured out that he had acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The acute lymphoblastic leukemia or ALL is a cancer of the blood cell lymphoid line, characterized by large numbers of immature lymphocytes developing. Symptoms may include tired feeling, pale skin color, cough, easy bleeding or swelling, enlarged lymph nodes or bone pain.
Bad news for the family
When Jo’s parents received the news, they were shocked and felt sadness. The family was devastated after hearing the bad news.
“Screenshot: It was a real shock because that’s when the word cancer started getting thrown around…Everything just stopped right there and then.” – John Zippy the father of Jo.
After the first diagnosis, Jo and his family spent 18 days in the hospital for further tests, blood transfusions and bone marrow biopsies. Jo is in and out in the hospital for the next three years to undergo rounds of radiation chemotherapy sessions to cure his cancer. He also took medicines that have horrible side effects.
Even though he missed a lot of classes due to his illness, the child never gave up on his studies. He had high grades even though he got a handful of absences, meaning he continued studying even if he is just lying down on the hospital bed.
His family was there to support him in every step that he takes. They even printed a shirt saying, “In this family, no one fights alone.”
Conquering leukemia
After enduring three years of treatment, Jo finally won his battle against leukemia! Thanks to the overall support of his family and to the prayers that the people offered.
Jo received a standing ovation when he was welcomed back to school after finishing the last round of his chemotherapy. His teachers and his classmates from St. Helen Catholic School were all smiles and laughter when he entered the hallway.
The video became viral on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more.
This video inspired a lot of people out there who are currently battling cancer, this reminds them not to give up and lose hope.
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