For local businesswoman Lavaniyah Ganapathy, she was gutted when she learned of her daughter’s leukaemia.

While any parent is willing to move heaven and earth for their child’s cancer treatment, not all Malaysians have the financial means to do it.

It was this realisation and her own personal experience with her daughter that drove her to help others in such dire straits.

So the following year, she founded Children Cancer Association Malaysia (CCAM), to help raise funds for poor families whose children have cancer.

Speaking to FMT Lifestyle, Lavaniyah related how her daughter’s initial symptom, a fever, was initially brushed off as nothing serious. That was in 2021.

However, a subsequent visit to the hospital proved otherwise and she was told her daughter had high-risk leukaemia.

“Luckily, we had insurance to cover my daughter’s treatment. However, while at my daughter’s side, I saw many parents of sick children desperately looking for financial help.”

Sadly, some of these children never got the treatment they deserved in time, she said.

“This experience was what inspired me to set up CCAM,” she said, adding that there is a lack of financial aid organisations for young cancer patients in West Malaysia.

Admittedly, despite her noble intentions, she had little experience in running a charity organisation.

“There is no book on how to run a charity group,” she laughed. “If there was one, I would definitely want to learn about it.”

She persevered however, splitting her time between running CCAM and caring for her sick daughter.

“It was very heartbreaking. And at first, we were lost,” she said of her daughter’s cancer. “We had to take the time to accept reality and we were left with no choice but to go through with this journey.”

According to Lavaniyah, more than half of all Malaysian households are not fully insured, meaning many are left in the lurch when cancer rears its ugly head.

She said CCAM helps raise awareness on the importance of medical insurance, while encouraging people to get regular health screening.

When a family with a cancer-stricken child reaches out to CCAM, its members work to raise funds through crowdfunding, media coverage and social media campaigns.

From time to time, CCAM receives donations from small companies and big corporations.

“People in need tend to approach us, often connected to us via people we know. Once they approach us, we work to verify that their plea for help is legitimate.”

She said the funds they raise, an estimated RM250,000 so far, go directly to the medical centres providing treatment and medicine for the child in need. Around 50 families from all over the country have received financial aid from CCAM.

“We help them with acquiring medical supplies, not just treatment,” she said, adding that CCAM also organises activities such as painting competitions to help raise the children’s spirits.

Lavaniyah said her daughter remains her biggest supporter. The young girl also regularly enquires about the wellbeing of other kids like her.

“That encourages me, all of our volunteers, to work hard to save the lives of these kids. These kids always inspire us,” she said, adding that she hoped the government would consider subsidising cancer treatment for children, especially those from the B40 community.

As for parents who find themselves in her position, Lavaniyah had this to say: “Whatever it is, you are the voice for your child. When there is something you need to speak out, or be firm about, just do it.”

Families in need of aid can contact CCAM at 016-3312427 or e-mail them at [email protected].

Donations to CCAM can be made here.