TJ Manotoc

From Quezon City to Memphis: How One Filipino Family’s Journey Helped Make Cancer History

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ABS-CBN News

<div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747806349467Aspen closeup_photo by St. Jude Children&#x27;s Research Hospital - Copy.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Aspen Tagnonan | Photo: St Jude&#x27;s Children&#x27;s Research Hospital</em></span></span></span></div><p>When Mark and Stephanie Tangonan learned that their daughter Aspen had stage 4 neuroblastoma at just 22 months old, their world stopped. What began as a hopeful treatment journey in  St Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City would soon grow into a remarkable global story of resilience, sacrifice, and medical breakthrough.</p><p>Today, 9-year-old Aspen is cancer-free—thanks to a groundbreaking treatment developed halfway across the world in Memphis, Tennessee, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. And she’s not just any survivor—she’s the first child in the world successfully treated with a novel drug combination for one of the most aggressive childhood cancers.</p><div><strong>A Family’s Fight for Hope<br/></strong></div><p>Back in the Philippines, Aspen underwent intensive treatment at St. Luke’s Medical Center. Filipino doctors gave their all. But after six months, the cancer returned. The next option was immunotherapy—a treatment not available in the Philippines.</p><p>“We trusted our doctors back home; they were the best of the best,” says Stephanie Uy, Aspen’s mom. “But they told us it would be difficult to bring this treatment to the Philippines because they didn’t know if the facility could support it.”</p><p>That’s when Aspen’s oncologist, Dr. Maria Luz Del Rosario, found a lifeline: St. Jude, where children receive cutting-edge care free of charge—including flights, housing, and food.</p><p>“When they told us that everything will be free, it was like a thorn was taken away. At first it’s unbelievable. We didn’t expect anything like this. We were so grateful,” said her dad, Mark.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1747806471083Aspen_062_photo by St. Jude Children&#x27;s Research Hospital.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>Aspen and Stephanie Tangonan | Photo: St Jude&#x27;s Children&#x27;s Research Hospital</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Uprooting for a Second Chance</strong></div><p>In 2019, Aspen, then just four years old, flew with her parents to Memphis, while her siblings stayed behind. By early 2020, the whole family relocated to the U.S., putting everything on pause in pursuit of one thing: a cure.</p><p>It wasn’t an easy path. Aspen’s doctors in Memphis, led by pediatric oncologist Dr. Sara Federico, tried multiple therapies to stabilize the disease. But something more was needed—a clue hidden in her genetics.</p><p>Using samples from Aspen’s earlier surgery in the Philippines, St. Jude researchers discovered a rare mutation in a gene called BARD1—a finding made possible by years of international research. That discovery unlocked a new path.</p><div><strong>The Breakthrough</strong></div><p>Drawing from research by Dr. Elizabeth Stewart at St. Jude, Dr. Federico combined a PARP inhibitor (a type of targeted cancer drug) with chemotherapy—a strategy never before used in children with Aspen’s condition. It worked.</p><p>Aspen’s bone marrow cleared, her tumors shrank, and after a few rounds, she no longer needed chemotherapy. By October 2021, she was completely off treatment.</p><p>Her case was later published in the New England Journal of Medicine, becoming a landmark in pediatric cancer care.</p><div><strong>A New Life, A New Mission</strong></div><p>Now healthy, Aspen goes back to St. Jude every six months for routine check-ups. She dreams of traveling the world—this time not for treatment, but for adventure.</p><p>For the Tangonan family, their story is more than a medical success—it’s a testament to hope, global collaboration, and the power of never giving up.</p><p>“When you’re told your child might not make it, you fight with everything you’ve got,” says Stephanie. “And sometimes, miracles happen.”</p><p>From Quezon City to Memphis, Aspen’s journey is now a symbol of what’s possible—not just for one little girl, but for families everywhere facing the unthinkable.</p>

<p>What began as a hopeful treatment in St Luke’s Medical Center would soon grow into a remarkable global story of resilience, sacrifice, and medical breakthrough.</p>

What began as a hopeful treatment in St Luke’s Medical Center would soon grow into a remarkable global story of resilience, sacrifice, and medical breakthrough.

From Quezon City to Memphis: How a family’s journey helped make cancer treatment history

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From Quezon City to Memphis: How a family’s journey helped make cancer treatment history

TJ Manotoc,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 21, 2025 02:17 PM PHT

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Cancer

Cancer Cure

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St Luke's Medical Center

Aspen Tagnonon

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