Being positive is the best medicine you can take.
– Maggie Howard, sarcoma survivor
It is worth noting that Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) joined global childhood cancer organisations in celebrating International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) on Feb 15, thereby aiming to raise awareness on the alarming cases of childhood cancer in the state.
It (ICCD) is a global collaborative campaign observed annually to highlight the importance of community participation and support in the fight against childhood cancer.
The society commemorated the occasion by raising awareness of childhood cancer and its unique challenges in Sarawak while rendering support for children with cancer, survivors, and their families.
In recognition of the love and sacrifices of families and caregivers, the SCCS initiated engagement activities with children suffering from cancer and families during a clinic day at the Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Paediatric Specialist Clinic here on Thursday (Feb 16).
On ICCD, the society’s president Rodney Wong said globally it is estimated that about 400,000 children from ages of zero to 19 are diagnosed with cancer each year.
He revealed that in Sarawak alone, about 60 to 70 new childhood cancer cases are recorded in a year.
This reminds me of my son Jay Kingsley Gara who succumbed to bone cancer back in 2015. He breathed his last on March 7, that year aged slightly over 24 after suffering for over two years. Back in 2013 he was first warded in SGH for chemotherapy and remained there for some months.
I remember visiting him for the first time – he was under the care of his mom, my former spouse whom I divorced in 2002 – at SGH and he told me the doctor told him it was curable. It gave him and all of us hope.
He was discharged but then in December of 2014 he was hospitalised again. By then it seemed that the disease was no longer curable as he was said to be in stage four rendering him bedridden and was only able to lie face down and not on his back.
My daughter Dawn Sara, his younger sibling looked after him alternately with their teacher mom. I did look after him for at least thrice during the night too but that was all we could do. Jay was really in pain and had lost at least 10 kg of his weight. He was like a small boy, saying to us he was in great pain and at times he would cry in pain.
I was made aware that cancer is not a communicable decease and then had no worry of it being infectious unlike other transmissible diseases. All that I could do was to give him inspiring advice. On March 7, I received a call from my sister-in-law that our Jay had passed on.
As such I quickly told my colleague about it and that I needed a few days’ leave to arrange for his funeral. The wake was held for three days as we had to wait for his first cousin and best friend Darryl who was stationed in Japan.
He was finally laid to rest at Batu Kitang Anglican Cemetery on March 11 that year after a mass at St Thomas Cathedral here in Kuching.
It was so sad that Jay departed at such a young age and rid of his prime and longevity by the decease. He was born a twin at Ong Specialist Centre (OSC) in Kuching on August 2, 1990 but his younger twin Rex Melvin Saran was still born. I was then serving in SMK Julau and was told by Dr Ong via telephone about the predicament and he obtained my permission to bury the still born twin.
On this year’s edition of ICCD, Rodney Wong said it was anchored on the theme ‘Better Survival is Achievable Through Their Hands’, highlighting the essential roles of families and caregivers in order to continuously create positive impacts on the lives of children fighting cancer.
“About 25 families, caregivers and the healthcare team participated in the Tree of Life campaign and shared their coloured handprints as a sign of support, hope and appreciation.
“The global Tree of Life campaign is aimed to provide constant awareness that childhood cancer is treatable. This campaign is a joint collaborative effort by Childhood Cancer International (CCI) and International Society of Paediatric and Oncology (SIOP),” he said.
During the clinic day celebration, Nicole, a Hodgkin’s Lymphoma patient who recently completed her treatment joined SCCS in carrying out the handprint arts and craft activity with the children.
At the same time, gold ribbon pins, the international awareness symbol for childhood cancer were also handed out to families. The society also collaborated with Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Michael Tiang as part of the support and awareness efforts.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
