Welcome to MAKNA {A Meaning to Life}

“Don’t deny treatment, it saves lives”.

Wong Choi Kam
54 years old

Cheerful is how she looks now. 54 years old Madam Wong wakes up to greet the early morning sun and see her 12 year son leave to school. She is recovering and responding well to treatment. Though she has lost her hair owing to the side effects of chemotherapy she is very determined to live.

She has a very supportive husband who takes care of her; he takes her for treatment at HUKM. He does all the house chores for her, he cooks for the family, does the washing, cleaning and marketing. Madam Wong is an average income earner, she is on Medical Leave now and her husband does odd work to make ends meet. Today, Madam Wong said that she prepared a small meal for herself, and that makes her feel happy to see that she is getting to do some housework slowly.

She first noticed a small lump at her right breast and realized a gradual growth in 1997. She received a treatment in a private hospital, the growth was removed and she was scheduled for radiation. She refused radiation owing to unconstructive advise form friends. After 3 years, her health condition started to weaken, she again felt something wrong in her health. She went to another private hospital and found a relapse in cancer, and she was scheduled for radiotherapy which this time she completed. In June 2003 she appealed to MAKNA when she knew about MAKNA through her friend. MAKNA assisted her with the purchase of a medicine called Femara (Femara is used to treat certain types of cancer in women) which she was prescribed.

Her condition was worsening, her back started to ache severely and she needed serious medical attention. The cancer has started to spread to her bones. After seriously studying this case she was immediately referred to IKM-HUKM with the assistance of MAKNA. Coming from low income family background finance was her challenge. August 2005 she was admitted in IKM-HUKM, since then she has been receiving series of chemotherapy treatment and prescribed drugs by the doctor. Chemo was an ordeal to her; she experienced vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, loss of weight, loss of hair, loss of strength. Now she has completed her 6 cycles of chemotherapy. Then is when she told us when we visited her in her flats in Wangsa Maju that she prepared her own meal after all these time. She wears a little cotton hat to cover her head.

All that is in her mind now is her son; she wants to see him through his studies. Her will to live strengthens each time she sees her son. Her advise to other women is “Don’t deny treatment, it saves lives”.

p/s: Madam Wong passed away peacefully on 24 Nov 2006 at IKM-HUKM

written by Vemanna, 2006