From leukemia patient to licensed physician: Doctor Dan Baldoza’s 15-year journey of healing and hope

MANILA – Fifteen years after facing a life-threatening illness as a teenager, Dan Ceazar O. Baldoza has traded his hospital bed for a doctor’s white coat, turning his experience as a patient into a purpose of caring for others.

“June 7, 2011. I was only 16 years old at that time, and it was supposed to be my very first day of college. I was originally planning to pursue Engineering, but instead of attending my first class, I found myself being admitted to the hospital for the very first time in my life,” Baldoza told ABS-CBN News.

Baldoza was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), a type of blood cancer. He spent 39 consecutive days in the hospital.

What was supposed to be the start of an exciting new chapter in his life became a fight for survival, leaving him uncertain about what the future would hold.

“Akala ko simpleng sakit lang siya na kayang gamutin within 1, 2, or 3 months. But as I slowly began to understand my condition and what I would have to go through, doon po ako talagang nanlumo at pinanghinaan ng loob. What I remember most was how suddenly everything changed. From being a teenager excited to begin college, I became a patient fighting for my life, uncertain of what the future would hold,” he added.

Yet, what began as a fight for survival would eventually lead him to discover a different path — one that would allow him to care for people experiencing the same vulnerability he once faced.

Becoming a doctor was never part of Baldoza’s childhood plans.

“Growing up, I wanted to become a basketball player and when I entered college in 2011, I was supposed to pursue Engineering. Before I got sick, the thought of working in a hospital had never even crossed my mind. In fact, napaka limitado po ng understanding ko noon about hospitals and healthcare,” Baldoza said.

But his years of treatment introduced him to a profession he had never seriously considered. As a patient, he witnessed how doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers cared for people during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

“I felt genuinely happy knowing that someone who had been suffering was finally getting better. And that’s when I started thinking that if I were given another chance at life, I wanted to do the same thing for others. I wanted to become someone who could help patients during their most difficult moments, just as my doctors had helped me. Medicine became a purpose that I discovered through my own experience as a patient,” he added.

Baldoza pursued Medical Technology as his pre-medical degree and later passed the board examination. From 2019 to 2020, he worked as a clinical instructor at Universidad de Sta. Isabel, his alma mater, while preparing financially for medical school.

The COVID-19 pandemic further strengthened his resolve to become a physician.

In 2021, he was among the students accepted into Bicol University College of Medicine.

“It wasn’t easy at first. After spending years focusing on my treatment and recovery, I had to adjust to being a student again. There was also that fear of whether I could still keep up academically and physically, especially after being away from school for so long,” he said.

Still, Baldoza was grateful for the opportunity to continue an education he once thought he might never experience again.

While adjusting to medical school, he also took part in health education programs, medical missions, and community outreach activities, allowing him to serve others even before earning his medical degree.

Baldoza said he felt a mix of emotions when he learned that he had passed the Physician Licensure Examination.

“It was a mixture of happiness, relief, and overwhelming gratitude. For a moment, parang ang hirap paniwalaan na finally, after everything I had been through, I could now call myself a licensed physician. I couldn’t help but look back at the 16-year-old boy who was lying in a hospital bed in 2011, uncertain whether he would even have the chance to return to school. And now, 15 years later, that same boy had finally become a doctor,” Baldoza said.

Beyond earning the title, however, his experience as a former patient has given him a different perspective on what people need from their doctors.

“Being a patient before becoming a doctor gave me a different perspective on healthcare. When you’re a patient, especially someone dealing with a serious illness, you experience not only the physical symptoms but also the fear, uncertainty, and emotional burden that come with the diagnosis. I remember how frightening it was not knowing what would happen next,” he added.

Baldoza also remembers how much it meant when doctors and nurses took the time to explain things, offer reassurance, or simply show kindness.

During his hospital training, he also witnessed the challenges faced by patients in the public healthcare system, including limited resources, facilities, and healthcare personnel.

These experiences shaped his belief that being a good physician goes beyond having the knowledge and skills to diagnose and treat illnesses. It also means listening to patients, communicating clearly with their families, understanding their circumstances, and treating everyone with dignity and compassion.

“One of the most important lessons I learned is to never forget the person behind the diagnosis,” he said.

Throughout his treatment, Baldoza and his family would watch Sunday Healing Masses, where a priest shared a message that would stay with him long after his recovery.

“Stop asking why, and start asking where,” the priest said, according to Baldoza.

Instead of repeatedly asking why he had to get sick or endure such difficult circumstances, Baldoza began asking where God would lead him after everything he had gone through.

“And for the longest time, I carried that question with me. I believe I finally found my answer. God led me to this very moment, not just to become a doctor, but to become an instrument of His healing and a source of hope for others.” he added.

For Baldoza, his journey was not simply about surviving leukemia or fulfilling his dream of becoming a doctor. It was about discovering what he could do with the second chance at life he had been given.

Fifteen years ago, he was the one lying in a hospital bed, hoping for another chance to live. Now, as a licensed physician, he hopes to offer that same reassurance and care to others facing their own battles.

“Our struggles don’t have to define the rest of our lives. Hindi ko po sasabihin na madali ang pinagdadaanan ninyo, dahil alam kong hindi. May mga araw na mapapagod kayo, matatakot, at panghihinaan ng loob, at okay lang po na maramdaman ninyo iyon. But always remember that you don’t have to face everything alone,” he said.