Hunger and illness stalk families; mother pleads for help

At 10:38 a.m., local time, Tina sent me a text message: Sorry if I give you much [cause to be] worried, I hope you understand my situation, [after] 2 to 3 days without vit[amins] d kids get cough & flue; dat [is] why I need to buy it, pls help me; I don't have allowance here now.

At 2:41 p.m. she texted again: Pls help me, I really felt dizzy & hungry coz till now I didn't eat break[fast] ... *

Nearly four hours later, at 6:34 p.m., Tina emailed me from the CBK Company office where she was undergoing 3 months of unpaid on-the-job training.

Hello Bern,
Bern good p.m., I hope you are in good condition, sorry if I give you so much [cause to be] worried, because you're the only person who can understand my situation and can help me.

Bern, sorry If I mention to you my personal and financial problem, I really don't know what to do. I don't know what I can do tomorrow, when and where I can get my allowance [for] going here in work tomorrow.

Pls help me; on December 30 was holiday, Rizal day, our National Hero day, that [is] why the Cebuana [pawnbroker and remittance agent] possible will be close[d].

Pls help me on my ring**, I don't want to [have] lost it, just only for 1,800 for the interest [I] need to pay, and also vitamins of the kids to avoid flue and cold: when the kids stop taking Vitamins in 2 to 3 days they were sick, it will be more expensive if they were sick; I need 1,200 for Ceelin (Vitamin C) Clusivol (for appetite) supply of the 7 kids, also Bern our allowance for food, I will [need to have] left food at home for little Bern and Josephine and other kids, also my allowance here for transportation and food too, pls.

Help me for 5,000 [pesos] pls, understand my situation, pls kept in touch.

[To] tell you the truth I felt dizzy, and so much hungry because I did not eat breakfast and lunch till this moment; [it's] 4:20pm right now; I'm worried for the food at home too.

Love

[Tina]

* Some text was lost in transmission.

** The ring was awarded to mark Tina's graduation from high school as the Salutatarian and Commander of the Cadet Army Training battalion.

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