Cancer Sucks! 

We wouldn't wish for it on our worst enemies, what more on our beloved children.

This is not our first rodeo. Through various activities conducted by our volunteers, who are young people themselves, we are in close communication with the doctors caring for children under going treatment for cancer.  We have identified specific areas of need for these affected children but first, we have to find the means to meet those needs.

We, Mukha Café and eYHY Network via our community bazaar - SoukKita - are on a mission to best support our local specialist hospital (Paediatric Oncology Unit of University Malaya Medical Centre, UMMC), to help them provide the best possible care to these young patients.  Young survivors’ such as Naomi and Siti Aisyah share their stories...

Naomi Syahira Azlan, 18

Naomi Syahira Azlan was 12 when she was first diagnosed with leukemia. The diagnosis came as a surprise; as a young volunteer at the hospital, she had spent time interacting with other cancer-stricken children and had never thought that one day she’d be battling the disease too.

Being diagnosed with cancer in her teenage years was difficult. Naomi wasn’t like any other teenager. She was more susceptible to the side effects of the medicines, which left her sickly most of the time, leaving her out of sync with her peers.

“I couldn’t be close to any of my friends as they were leading a different lifestyle.  It was lonely,” she said.

As an only child, Naomi had the full attention from her parents. However the support and care extended by the kind and attentive staff at UMMC gave her so much comfort and confidence that she was in good hands.

“They were comforting when we were sad or in pain. They were kind & mindful of the challenges & difficulties we faced,” she said. Modern chemotherapy and large doses of empathy enabled her to endure the two years she was in and out of the hospital until she achieved a clean bill of health.

Today, 6 years on, Naomi's a proud cancer survivor with a renewed sense of optimism in life. Her life-altering battle with the disease has transformed her into a positive young woman who is confident in taking on the future. The commitment and dedication she saw in the doctors and staff of UMMC inspired her.  One day, she hopes to become a doctor and give back to others too.

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Siti Aisyah Faqihah, 12

Siti Aisyah comes from a rural town, south of Kuala Lumpur.  This happy-go-lucky girl with two elder siblings, was diagnosed with leukemia at the very young age of 3years.

“As a mother, I was very shocked & worried of my daughter’s condition, when we were first told that she has leukemia.  We wanted her to get the best treatment.  We were immediately referred to UMMC”, saidMdm Ainun, Siti Aisyah’s mother.

To receive chemotherapy, Siti Aisyah made daily commutes to the hospital, often starting her journey as early as 4 am.  UMMC became her second home. 

“For the sake of Siti Aisyah’s recovery, we pressed on because we wanted her to get the best treatment possible, even though we were often short of funds.  We are grateful that with the help of various charitable bodies, Siti Aisyah was able to complete all the necessary phases of chemo and procedures according to protocol ”, says Mdm Ainun.

Alhamdulillah, all praise to God, Siti Aisyah is now in her final year of Primary school (and a school prefect at that!).  She will be sitting for a major exam at the end of the year. 

All of this would not have been possible, for young patients like Siti Aisyah, without the continuous support UMMC gets from their donors.

What is UMMC?

University Malaya Medical Centre , UMMC is the  leading centre for treatment of childhood cancers and blood diseases in Malaysia.  Facilities include a multi-disciplinary oncology service, thalassemia and haematology daycare as well as a bone marrow transplantation unit. There is also a dedicated paediatric cancer research laboratory and a coordination centre for clinical trials. Social support for families is also provided in the form of halfway-house facilities. Many of these services are supported by public donations which in turn have helped alleviate the economic burden of cancer treatment experienced by families from low income groups. Up to 40% of childhood cancer patients in UMMC come from families earning below RM2000 per month.

Cancer is now the leading cause of death for children. Fortunately, children in Malaysia are now able to receive modern therapies like their counterparts in Western countries. Over the last four decades, survival rates for paediatric cancers have improved greatly with many achieving a cure rate of above 80%. Also, to date, nearly 500 children have undergone bone marrow transplantation in UMMC to correct various diseases.

The philosophy of the UMMC Children’s Cancer Unit is that every child with cancer is entitled to a chance of cure irrespective of his or her socio-economic standing. Poverty should not preclude these children from the opportunity to survive this horrible disease. With your generous support, this philosophy can continue to be realized.  

Where Will Your Funds Go?

Children and youths like Naomi and Siti Aisyah are our future. We are seeking to transcend the borders of our local community to reach out, particularly to those with a passion for the care and wellbeing of children. 

We hope to help raise funds for the children afflicted with cancer and give some comfort to their families/caregivers too. We also want to support the research efforts of the UMMC team which has translated into more young lives saved.

Funds raised will be used to directly purchase chemoports for children from poor families. A chemoport is a device for accessing a large blood vessel for administration of drugs. This will allow children to undergo chemotherapy without the pain of multiple skin pricking. In addition, funds will be channeled to supporting an important laboratory test which aids in the diagnosis and assessing disease status for children with leukemia. Surplus (if any) will be used to help purchase high caloric nutritional drinks for under-nourished children to help them fight off infections and to better tolerate side-effects of chemotherapy.

These are just some of the identified areas of need but in truth, the sky’s the limit and there really is no one-size-fits-all for donors in supporting the UMMC Paediatric Oncology unit!

Pictures:  These young patients always look forward to participate in any activities that would reprieve them from their illness. 

An expression from their hearts….