Defense Band: New tool vs dengue
-A A +ASunday, October 21, 2012
DEATH comes like a thief in the night. But after it comes a new dawn of hope, giving inspiration to someone to appreciate life more.
Just like the death of an eight-year-old girl who succumbed to dengue. American singer and composer Monte Carl Luttrell made her death as a turning point in making earnest campaign against dengue. He invented a perfect tool that would prevent a person from getting infected with the deadly disease.
Luttrell, popularly known as Ghetto White, has been traveling from his hometown in California to Cagayan de Oro for the past four years to share his talent in music and give his album to those who care to listen to his compositions -- for free.
But his direction in life changed after learning of the eight-year-old girl’s death, which haunted him until now. He made some research, partnered with friends and established a company that manufactures and sells Dengue Defense Band at a very affordable price.
Luttrell says he could still vividly recall the image of the little girl who always go with her mother and greet him every morning. They were his neighbors in Sitio Macanhan, Barangay Carmen in Cagayan de Oro where he lived.
He says he looks forward to the little girl’s greetings every morning.
But one morning, Luttrell says he only hears the mother greeting him. Curious, he asked for the girl’s whereabouts.
He says his heart sank and felt helpless after learning that the child died of dengue.
Luttrell says he returned to California, bringing along that sad memories, and studied everything about mosquitoes. He wanted to help save lives.
After a year of learning the lifestyle and the kind of mosquitoes that killed the little girl, he started studying repellants. He used his expertise as a chemist.
Luttrell admits he was once a multi-million dollar drug lord and was in federal prison for 17 years.
He says if he can perfectly create drugs that can destroy life, then he can create his own version of a repellant that can save life.
Having formulated the perfect ingredients for his repellant, Luttrell went to China to finalize the product and package it through the help of his partners, Peter and MJ.
Luttrell says the Dengue Defense Band has three ingredients with citronella as the main component that would provide an invisible shield against mosquitoes that carry dengue up to one meter and up to 240 hours.
He considers the product “a perfect band” with 99 percent effectiveness to fight against dengue, based on feedbacks from clients.
The Dengue Defense Band, according to him, is waterproof and safe even for newborns. It can be worn in the wrist or ankle.
“It is very unique compared to repellant lotions because you only have to wear it,” Luttrell says.
He says they are now saturating Cagayan de Oro and hope to expand to other cities and perhaps, the whole Philippines, to market the band “not for income but to help save lives.”
“I have done my part now. My mission has completed. Even if I die tomorrow, I am assured that my partners will continue my advocacy against dengue,” Luttrell says.
He hopes Filipinos will also do their share in fighting for dengue so that no more life of a child would be put to waste.
Any queries related to the Dengue Defense Band may be sent at denguedefensebandinc@gmail.com.
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on October 21, 2012.
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