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Nancha (right) and her family celebrate the birthday of their daughter. Miki is at centre.
THERE is a popular saying that it takes a village to raise a child.
Mother of three Nancha Linang understands this proverb well, having received help from her immediate family, relatives and friends, as well as Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS), at a time when she and her family needed it the most.
In 2019, her 10-year-old son Miki was diagnosed with leukaemia after a prolonged bout of fever, unknown bruises and weakened body.
“When the doctor gave us Miki’s diagnosis as cancer, it felt surreal. My husband and I could not believe it, because there weren’t any cancer cases in our family history.
“We felt this (diagnosis) was impossible and suspected there might have been a mistake,” she said in an interview.
Even so, after processing the news, Nancha knew they had to accept reality no matter how difficult it was, and focus on getting treatment for Miki.
“We were at Bintulu Hospital when we received the diagnosis, and we were then referred to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) where the treatment to stabilise Miki’s condition was estimated to take six months.”
Miki is pictured during his treatment at SGH.
On top of the devastating news of her son’s cancer diagnosis, Nancha’s husband had only just been retrenched by his company in Bintulu, leaving the family with the extra strain of having to deal with financial issues as well.
Thankfully, according to Nancha, her husband soon secured a job in Kuching. However, this meant the couple would not be able to take care of their other children, as Nancha would be caring for Miki during his six months of chemotherapy, and her husband busy with his new job.
“We had no choice but to leave our two daughters behind in Bintulu and temporarily move to Kuching. I was so grateful that our relatives and friends agreed to take care of them even though they had their own families to think about.
“Their selfless act allowed me and my husband to focus on Miki’s treatment, and for this, we are eternally grateful to them,” said Nancha.
She said having a support system in place is vital in times of crises, and SCCS volunteers had helped to make their cancer-fighting journey so much easier.
“Having people like SCCS really made a difference. For parents out there enduring a similar situation, don’t be shy to seek help from others.
“Fighting cancer is a tough journey, and SCCS’ offers services such as support group for parents and also counselling sessions.
“If you need emotional support, do reach out to trustworthy parties, such as parents going through a similar journey, and SCCS can assist you in this. They have been a great pillar of support to me and Miki during the six months of treatment at SGH,” she added.
Looking back, Nancha said the best decision the family made was to listen to the doctor’s advice on treatment.
“After the diagnosis, many people gave us their views about undergoing chemotherapy, but it never crossed our minds to seek alternative forms of treatment.
“Do not think twice and delay the process of treatment as it may reduce the survival rate. With today’s medical advancements, childhood cancer can be treated, and seeking immediate treatment increases the survival rate.
“It is also important to stay positive and keep your faith in God that everything will work out for the best. Feeling sad does not help. The best way is to channel your sadness into action and stay strong for the children.”
Now 14, Miki responded well to his treatment and quickly went into remission after completing chemotherapy.
Seeing her son recovering and growing up a healthy young man, Nancha is forever grateful to everyone who had played a part in his journey.
Miki, now 14, has recovered and is growing up healthy.
“The road we went through wasn’t an easy one, and we’re indebted to each and everyone who came through for us in our time of need.”
Emotional support is among the services offered by SCCS to families of paediatric cancer patient.
According to SCCS, counselling provides caregivers and patients an outlet to manage their emotions amid the challenging and painful period of cancer treatment.
SCCS also educates parents and families by sharing informative brochures and booklets on various childhood cancers as well as on nutrition, which they designed and printed themselves. It also issues ‘survivor passports’ to childhood cancer survivors so they can better understand their treatment history and be more aware of the potential risks or late effects.
SCCS’ Go Bald 2023 Campaign takes place this June 11 from 1.30pm to 7.20pm at Permaisuri Imperial City Mall in Miri.
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