Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said recently that Malaysia is expected to see 66,000 new cancer cases annually by 2030. In comparison, the country’s number of cases in 2018 stood at 43,837, according to the World Health Organisation.
Even with cancer becoming more prevalent, for some, it is a taboo subject, never to be discussed in the open, lest one tempts fate. An understandable fear, given that just about anyone is the target of a cancer diagnosis.
However, one fact remains – when cancer “strikes”, it changes lives forever, for both the patients and their loved ones.
It also brings a deluge of questions: “Am I going to die?”, “What should I do now?”, “Who will take care of my family?”, “I’m not ready to go!”
Loved ones too are caught up in the swell of emotions, but must learn to provide support and stay strong even as their worlds are turned upside down.
In the book by Pink Unity titled “I will not go quietly”, 11 cancer survivors and four caregivers bravely open up about their struggles in dealing with cancer.
A focus support group for women cancer survivors, Pink Unity comes under the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, and launched the book recently following the positive reception of their first book, “Taking the bull by the horns” in 2012.
In this latest book, the survivors have either battled cancer for the first time or were on their “second journey” dealing with a recurrence of the disease. They are young and old – a testament that cancer is no discriminator of age.
The stories are hard to read without shedding a tear or two – from how they received a positive cancer diagnosis to the turmoil of emotions they experienced, and the tough treatments they endured to fight the disease.
Yet, their stories are incredibly inspiring too as each shares a common resounding message of hope in their ability to fight back and win the battle.
Their stories help “demystify” cancer as a “Goliath” that can’t be defeated. From finding a support group to discovering new interests to keep their minds occupied, these women are brave soldiers in their own right.
The book also features the experiences of four caregivers, who became pillars of support for their loved ones, even as they struggled with their own fears.
Every story tugs at the heart, and Dr Juliet Dharmalingam’s is hard to forget. Over a span of 51 years, the 92-year-old retired medical practitioner survived seven forms of cancer.
The first, a spinal tumour, left her physically handicapped. It was a devastating blow for her, more so since she represented Selangor in athletics and hockey in her younger days.
But despite the wretchedness of her situation, her story is also one of humility. “Cancer has given me the ability to realise that despite all my challenges, there are others who suffer more,” she wrote in the book.
Another powerful narration is Roy Ng’s, a father who learned to be a full-time caregiver when his daughter was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a form of aggressive blood cancer, when she was 27 years old.
Describing himself as her “entertainer, masseur, delivery man, and emotional sounding board” among others, his story is a poignant reflection of a father’s enduring love for his child – even when she is an adult.
According to NK Valliammai A Nagappan, a cancer survivor herself and one of the book’s editors, “I want the person who’s feeling down or given up on life to read the book and say: ‘This is a journey that many women have taken. They’ve come out of it – so can I.’”
To purchase a copy of ‘I will not go quietly’ at RM29, contact Lee Chooi Lan of Pink Unity at 016-371 3582.
Learn more about Pink Unity on Facebook and Instagram.