Welcome to MAKNA {A Meaning to Life}

“...Cancer Changes Whole Life Style For The Better...”

Jacob Matthews

I have been a very active sport teacher at the school, district, state and national level. I became a qualified coach and official in various sports, including athletics, cricket and hockey, achieving international status and producing a number of national and international talents in the sports field. I had officiated at a number of National and International meets. The most outstanding of which was the SEA Games, Asian Track and Field and the 16th Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.

I have a closely knit family with all my children having completed their higher education in local universities while my youngest son completed his aviation studies in Perth and is a pilot with Malaysian Airlines. My wife too, served the government service as a teacher and is now retired.

Things were going fine until in May of 1998 when all of a sudden I was told by a visiting orthopedic surgeon to the Banting Hospital that the swelling on my right thigh could be a tumor and needed immediate attention. As there were no proper facilities in Banting Hospital and also having no MRI equipment in Klang General Hospital, I needed to do it in Kuala Lumpur General Hospital. Fortunately through a friend, Dato' M. Jegathesan who was the Deputy Director General of Health and a former international athlete, a MRI was scheduled as soon as possible. The doctor also did a scan of my bone as well as the lymph nodes and a chest x-ray. Since the doctor in Klang had to go on emergency leave, I was referred to the University Hospital to meet Professor Sen Guptha, a well known Orthopedic Surgeon. He recommended that I do a biopsy and only then would he be able to diagnose and confirm. The biopsy was done on the same day in the afternoon following which I stayed at home thinking of the outcome.

Finally the long awaited result was revealed to me by the Professor who stated it was positive and malignant. I was told I had Malignant Fibrous Histeocytoma (MFH), a cancer of the soft tissue. My thoughts went wild and I began to think of death and leaving my loved ones. I threw away many of my sports related items, thinking the end had come. I informed all my students, friends and relatives throughout the world. They held special prayers for me. Seeking close comfort in God I began to take stock of my life. Thanks to Him I began to be positive and looked forward for the next course of action.

In June 1998 I was admitted to the University Hospital. The investigations showed that I had to be operated on to remove the tumor. If it was necessary they would have to remove my leg from hip down. I left it to the doctors and God Almighty. On 25 June at 9.00 am I was taken in for the operation and I came out of the theatre at about 7.30 pm. Lying on the wheeled bed I looked at my leg and thank God it was still there. The official pathological results showed that some cancer cells were still around the margin and I had to undergo 32 days of radiotherapy. I had good support from my family members who were always there for me. In October the same year, I retired from teaching to recuperate.

As for treatment, I took all supplementary nutritional products and went for my regular check ups - once in every 3 months having a CT Scan of the lungs done. The Oncologist also saw me regularly. My last scan was on the 4th of January 2003. After 5 years I was finally cleared of cancer by the doctor in charge. I Praised and Thanked the Lord for my recovery.Having been through this ordeal and being saved I began to look forward with a grateful heart and looking forward to seeing each new day as a gift from God to me. I became increasingly mindful of all the unfortunate people and those who seek help. I spent five years travelling from Banting to University Hospital visiting the surgery, oncology and the radiology departments. I am very thankful to the staff of the above sections in the University Hospital and especially to Professor Sen Guptha for making the right decision in removing the entire two muscles instead of just the tumour. A friend whose father had the same cancer on the same spot succumbed to the sickness after three months as he was just given chemotherapy.

My services in sports continued, but on a more administrative level although I occasionally do some coaching and still hold positions in various sports bodies. I also began to think and care more for the needy. I felt that this was a better thing to do then getting involved in other activities. The joy from the faces of those who came in touch with me gave me added strength and I want to do more for those who needed help.

The opportunity to be directly involved with cancer came when I became a volunteer for MAKNA, after realising my children were contributing monthly towards this cause. I felt as an ex-cancer patient my words would surely and strongly encourage others to live on and I could make them feel that there is still hope. My main objectives are to make them think positive and to move forward as one family, irrespective of race and religion.

Today I spend my time speaking, encouraging, counseling cancer victims, helping in fundraising, sharing my experience and going about discouraging people from smoking and educating individuals on the need to stay healthy through healthy living, using my God given qualities and abilities to help and assist those who seek me. I have no riches but God has given me talent, friends, an ability to speak and interact well with one another and a close knit family to pursue my new found interest. Through these qualities I move forward as an individual and family, assisting those in need especially Cancer victims. Finally as one who has gone through a trying time I comfort myself through this prayer

written by Jacob Matthews, 2006