New York hospital refers Marlon to spine specialist

By Alex P. Vidal 

“The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others.” — Albert Schweitzer

NORTHWELL Health has referred Filipino alleged assault victim Marlon Doronila to a spine specialist.

“This is what I need,” beamed Doronila, who will turn 68 in March this year. “In Bellevue and Elmhurst (hospitals), they gave me only pain killers.”

Bellevue, located in Manhattan, and Elmhurst, located in Queens, are members of NYC Health+Hospitals, New York’s largest public health and hospital system.

“They (Northwell Health) have the compassion because they understood that I need to straighten my head up and my neck has to be checked thoroughly,” explained Doronila, who credited his friend, Ismael Candari, for referring him to Northwell Health.

Doronila, who studied in De La Salle University in Manila, has been complaining of pain on his neck, shoulder, and part of his back. He walks with a head slanted downward since December 2024.

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“I can’t see people and vehicles when I walk and cross in the street because my head is sloping down and I see only the pavement,” complained Doronila, who is single and resides in a four-story apartment in Elmhurst, Queens.

At past 2 o’clock in the afternoon on December 31, 2024, social worker Sharon Curvy visited Doronila in his apartment where he narrated what happened to him when he was allegedly assaulted inside the apartment.

Doronila said Curvy was able to access his medical records after he went to Elmhurst on December 17 and Bellevue on December 24 complaining “I have been assaulted verbally and physically for three years now” by a younger male assailant.

Curvy exhorted him to contact the Adult Protective Services (APS), which provides services for physically and/or mentally impaired adults.

Dr. Megha George and Dr. Jacob Ziff treated him at Elmhurst, while at Bellevue he was checked by Dr. William Chiang and Dr. Jairo Triana.

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At Elmhurst, Doronila underwent the following imaging tests: CT cervical spine without contrast, CT head without contrast, CT maxillofacial without contrast, DX chest AP only.

Elmhurst doctors gave Doronila the following medications: acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin), lidocaine 5 percent (Lidoderm), and methocarbamol (Robaxin).

Bellevue doctors gave him acetaminophen (Tylenol), amoxicillin-clavulanate (Augmentin), azithromycin (Zithromax), and cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril), and lidocaine.

Doronila has been asked to see the doctors on separate schedules this year for evaluation.

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(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Editor)