Yao Sern, 14, had a close bond with his father: the two supported the same football club – Arsenal – and enjoyed playing squash together. Sadly, Chin Teik passed away last year.
In his late father’s memory, and to honour the anniversary of his passing, the teenager decided to raise funds for a good cause. Remembering the care Chin Teik had received in his final years, the lad decided to support Hospis Malaysia, a charitable organisation that provides community palliative care to those with life-limiting illnesses.
“I did some research into the work of Hospis Malaysia and I was amazed. I heard how their services were free of charge, and that was what persuaded me to eventually start my fundraiser for them,” Yao Sern told FMT Lifestyle.
In just two months, he managed to raise over RM62,000 for his cause – more than twice his initial target of RM25,000!
The teenager ran his campaign, “Easing Life’s Final Journey”, on the Simply Giving online platform from Sep 24 to Nov 25. Over 100 donors contributed to his cause.
“I never expected to raise this amount. I didn’t even think RM25,000 was likely at first. But somehow, we managed to exceed the target in the first week,” Yao Sern said.
Despite having to balance school and extracurricular activities, the teen campaigned tirelessly to raise funds. He arranged meetings with potential donors, participated in a fundraising bazaar, and made speeches to raise awareness of his cause in school.
“It was certainly very challenging,” his mother, Evelyn Boon, shared. “There were cases of false hope, where promises of donations were made but nothing came. Yet he never gave up, he just kept pushing through.
“Our family is very fortunate, and I’m glad he had the empathy to help others who don’t have as much. I’m very proud of him.”
On Tuesday, a mock-cheque presentation ceremony was held with representatives from Hospis Malaysia at Yao Sern’s school, the British International School of Kuala Lumpur.
Hospis Malaysia spokesperson Tham Su Ming said her organisation was grateful to be the beneficiary of Yao Sern’s initiative.
“Yao Sern’s mature approach to honouring his father and his legacy is indeed heartwarming,” she said. “He has proven to be a strong advocate for our work through his articulation of how good community palliative-care support for patients and their families can make a marked difference in their quality of life.
“Well done, Yao Sern, and a big thank you for your efforts.”
Donors to his campaign will also receive “Dear Dad…”, a book consisting of blog entries written every two days by Yao Sern throughout his fundraising campaign, sharing memories of his late father.
The book also contains writings by his sister, 12-year-old Hui Ern, and mother Boon. “I think ‘Dear Dad…’ will be a nice way for people to get to know my father and learn what a great person he was,” Yao Sern said.
Boon believes her son’s efforts have been an eye-opening experience that has helped him become a better person, while Yao Sern added that he might get involved in future fundraising efforts for others.
“I want to say thank you to everyone. To my school, my mum, Hospis Malaysia, and everyone who read my blog or donated. Thank you to everyone who helped support the campaign,” he concluded.