WHEN I first met Clotilde Nenita Casio Fortuna-Gamboa, or Cleo for short, she was a vibrant college student who was excited about life. Nearly 10 years later, Cleo still carries with her that vibrant and calming presence. She is now married to the love of her life, Mari Gamboa. And while she continues to exude optimism and excitement about her life and her faith, Cleo is going through one of the toughest seasons of her life.

It was in 2008 that Cleo was first diagnosed with Lupus Nephritis. Prior to being diagnosed, Cleo was pursuing a nursing degree from Manila Doctors College in

2007. “I was 16 years old and just about to finish my first year in college. What was a mere rash symptom revealed itself to be a full scale chronic autoimmune disease.”

By 2010, she was already showing signs of progressive kidney failure or

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

“By 2013, the inevitable happened.

I was rushed to the emergency room for high blood pressure, severe palpitations, bleeding, severe headache, and difficulty breathing. My blood levels were off the charts and both kidneys were only functioning at 5 percent. I had to undergo immediate surgery to place a catheter on my neck so I could start emergency dialysis ASAP.

“Immediately after, I was scheduled for another surgery, an AV fistula, another dialysis access where they connect the arterial and venous vein in one arm (usually the less dominant one) to make one big vein — big enough to use as an access for the hemodialysis treatment. I was 22 years old,” she recalled.

Cleo is now 30 years old and has been on dialysis for nine years. “I was actually told a few weeks ago by one of the nurses that I was on my 1,110th dialysis session. When you read this, I’m probably close to my 1,130th session.”

Despite her situation, Cleo chooses to see the good. “As many would say I am blessed to have gone this far since not a lot have. I am the last standing patient alive from my ‘batchmates’ and even more

‘senior’ than the current dialysis nurses who tend to me now. That might be sad and depressing to some, but I am grateful and proud to have lasted this long. It’s an achievement I am proud of. I know only

God’s grace and favor could have done that and could have brought me this far.”

The reality however, is that nine years spent in dialysis has caused serious complications. “Patients who have been on dialysis for too long could suffer from numerous long term complications such as cardiovascular problems, malnutrition, and in my case, Renal Osteodystrophy, a condition found in long-term CKD patients where they suffer from bone loss, bone malformation, and short stature.”

She continued her story and how it affected her whole life. In January 2020, Cleo married the love of her life wherein she was her, “best, happiest self, standing at my normal height of 5 feet 2 inches and weighing at my normal weight of 50 kilograms or 110 lbs.”

And then in just 10 months, Cleo drastically lost height and weight, and now stands at 4 feet 9 inches and weigh 39 kilograms or 86 lbs.

“Fast forward to today, exactly a year after — December 2021. As I write this, I now stand at 4 feet 5 inches and weigh 31 kilograms or 68 lbs. To sum it up, in a span of one year and 11 months, from the month I got married, I lost 19 kilograms or 41 lbs. of weight and 9 inches of height.”

She also noted that basic movements like sitting, lying down, and walking now come with pain. “Moving from one place to another is now taken with extra caution as I am at a high risk for serious bone fracture. I get assisted by my mom, my husband, and my siblings with everything and get around in a wheelchair on days where I have to leave the house for dialysis, physical therapy, and doctor appointments. As it continues to progress, the drastic change this complication has brought to me and my family has really pushed us to get moving and start the process of the kidney transplant as soon as possible.”

Cleo also believes that her condition was further aggravated by the pandemic. Like most people, she thought that the virus would be a fleeting obstacle and that the world will go back to normal in three months.

When we were slowly hit with the

realization that the pandemic won’t end anytime soon, and lockdowns and adjustments had to be made, major changes also started to happen to Cleo. She was working for an acclaimed magazine and had just started to come back to work after taking a break to get married.

“But after only a few days back in the office, the reality of working from home was implemented and the term WFH became the norm. I thought to myself, this is going to be so easy as this was my normal dealing with my sickness year in, year out since 2008.

“The hard realization that there are even more serious implications to this pandemic that we all are not able to comprehend yet were creeping slowly. Most especially when non-essential establishments began to close down. That was when things began to spiral down for me,” she shared.

These non-essential businesses include the holistic clinics Cleo frequented, and in turn, her health was affected. “All the treatments and therapies I regularly get once or twice a week all stopped. Everything that was sustaining me was all gone. It wasn’t only my physical health that was affected because of it. Like everyone else, my mental health and emotional health were two things that suffered immensely with it too. It all contributed to my current state. And I knew it was only a matter of time before it all takes its toll on my body. Little did I know, it already slowly was. By an inch. By a kilo.”

Cleo continued to recall the difficult times she had to go through to understand what needed to change.

“Since the start of my lupus battle in 2008, I have subjected myself under medical care and completely entrusted my life in the hands of doctors. But somehow I get hospitalized every year, and every year my condition gets worse and worse instead of better.

“It was in 2012 that I had my worst confinement because everyone thought my time was up. Blood levels were alarmingly low that I had to have eight bags of blood transfused in me. I was very weak and both kidneys were already failing. It was apparent that my doctor thought I didn’t have much time anymore as his bedside manners really gave it away. But I remember laughing at him in my head for thinking that. Things may have looked really bad that time, but not one cell in my body thought and believed my time was up. Not one.”

This is what caused her to rethink her lifestyle and became open to try anything including holistic alternatives such as fruits, juicing, vegetables, and natural treatments to detox and clean the body like colon cleanse, acupuncture, lymphatic drainage, ear candling, and needling cupping to name a few.

She saw the dramatic change after rebooting her lifestyle. It was natural healing through diet and detox therapies that sustained her all these years.

“Even through all my years in dialysis, it is what has sustained me and allowed me to experience life. Unlike most people, I know for a fact, that it is because of this that I do not have difficulty during and after each dialysis session. I do not suffer from fatigue or light headedness after every session and still have energy to do other activities after.

“It allowed me to enjoy life because of it I was able to be strong enough. I was able to look nothing like somebody who was on dialysis. And because of it I was able to take care of myself more and meet the love of my life and marry him! It is natural healing through diet and detox that got me this far.”

When asked how Cleo kept her faith, she answered, “When I look back at everything that happened to me, I have numerous stories of unexplainable events that I could only explain to be divine. Events that could only be God. There are so many instances and situations throughout my story where we were faced with a dead end, exhausted of all answers and resources yet somehow some way, something happens and yet again we make it through.

“Some could be explained with logic, but most of it leaves us baffled but in a good way. In fact, there are stories of unexplained events in my life that remain to be a mystery until today. And I take joy in that and feel really kilig knowing in my heart and in my bones, I am loved. I am guided. I am protected. I truly believe that with my whole being. And with that built-up confidence, I am able to face life with courage and tell others of His goodness and His love too! And I guess that’s why the enemy hates me so much cause he just couldn’t get me to shut up and hate on God. He has been trying all these years with the attacks he throws at me but it only drew me closer and closer, more in love with God than ever.”

Of course, included in these blessings are her friends and her family. “I have a full arsenal of strong, courageous, loving, and incredibly supportive individuals I am blessed to call my family that are fighting with me and for me. Because of them I consider myself richer than most. My circumstances pale in comparison to the blessings and the loving people that surround me. And each and every one of them has always been my reason to keep going.”

Although bombarding the heavens with prayer is the single most powerful help Cleo could ask from anyone, she expressed, “But if there are those who find it in their hearts to extend kindness and generosity to help with my kidney transplant, we receive it with extremely grateful and gracious hearts.”

Friends and family have organized a couple of fundraisers they surprised Cleo and her husband with just a few days before her birthday. The first fundraiser was organized by her brotherin-law and my husband’s twin brother Miggy Gamboa, and her husband’s mentor Paolo Villavicencio.

Another fundraiser is #JumpForCleo organized by her best friends Joelle Ann Acuña and Mrs. Universe International Lovely Gervacio-Tajan. Together with Jump Manila, they sell jump ropes at a discounted price.

Cleo, despite her condition, continues to thrive because she is anchored in her faith and that alone is inspiring.

This Christmas season, why not extend a helping hand and jump for Cleo. For more details you can email: cncfgamboa@gmail.com.