What's Your Ambition?

May 05, 2011

What's Your Ambition?

Where Do You See Yourself 5 Years From Now?

I recently attended a Mentor-Mentee Course at the Centre for Modern Management. I was asked by the speaker 'Tell Me What Is your Ambition?'. That needed an answer as we were trying to link the types of mentor we would look for to inspire us towards our ambition. It did remind me of my Masters program interview ten years ago. The Professor asked me 'Desmond, where do you see yourself 5 years from now'. Well I am still here, just the way I am. Travelling back into time I would again relate this to an essay I was asked to do in Primary Three. The subject, My Ambition. What do you want to be when you grow up? It was easy to say then, as being children and young, we can say whatever we want and nobody would penalised us or ridicule us. You can even say you want to be an astronaut and no one would shoot you down.

Anyway those questions are totally unrelated with this blog post. It just touches a little part of it. More so this blog post is about the Sarawak Children Cancer Society and the upcoming Going Bald 2011 Campaign. Click on my past blog post sometimes last year at: Going Bald 2010 Campaign. Please visit that post before you proceed to the contents below. Anyway, you may go later to compare the photos.

This was the picture of the Centre last year and when I visited it today and it still looked the same as this photo

I made a point to drop by again this year to update myself on the progress of the proposed new Sarawak Children Cancer Society centre. The visit was to get myself updated so that I may my generous Go Bald 2010 donor, Dr. Balamurugan, how his contribution has been put to good used. Also some of my friends were eager to know whether their contributions were sufficient to get the new Centre complete as soon as possible. While at there, an old government quarters building, I was fortunate to have met three children and their families.

Meet Aishah (two years old) in white and Jacklyn (five years old) in orange. They ran around the room playing with one another. Looking at the two, it would be hard to accept the fact that they are young cancer patients

These kids are currently undergoing their chemotherapy treatments in Kuching Sarawak General Hospital and currently resting at the centre. One can see the catheter that holds the intravenous tubes (inserted into a vein) used to deliver the chemo medicine. I hope I got that explanation correct as it was the parents who described that to me. Jacklyn (on the right) is losing a lot of her hair due to this treatment for neuroplasmata (growth). Aishah the smaller girl is suffering from leukemia.

Nur (the elder patient) came down later to join her two younger friends and she was more reserved and quiet than the other two ladies. I think she knew well about her condition compared to the other two who keeps tugging at their catheters. But they knew they were different as all sat silent when I took their photos.

When we talked I was introduced to the three families. They were all from outstation, two, from Bintulu and the other from Miri. The Centre provided the family with affordable accommodation and daily meals. Some of the family have been there for more than six months. The venue is considered convenient as the centre was just a 15 minutes walk to the Sarawak General Hospital.

Then I went to see if there have been any changes to the rooms at the centre. Compared with the previous year (in last year's blog) the smaller room has an additional bed

This room with that cute teddy bear catered for the bigger family

The third room also provided accommodation for the family of the patient

Meeting the man with a big heart ~ Nadai Nama Nama with the Centre Administrator Mr. Johnny.

The Sarawak Children Cancer Society New Building

This is what it will come to soon as the new Centre is undergoing construction. The site is along Lorong 15, Desa Wira at Batu Kawah, which is about 30 - 40 minutes ride from the Sarawak General Hospital. Piling has started as early as last month after land clearing had been done.

The new Centre is under construction with the piling work starting last month

From the looks of the work and details given by Mr. Johnny, this new Centre is expected to be completed in 2012.

So back to my earlier blabbering just now about ambitions since it came about after I attended a course. When I spoke with the children ~ little Aishah and Jacklyn and grown up Nor, I wondered what would have been their answer. 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' a question I always ask children I meet during the course of my duty in Sri Aman. Surprisingly, I dared not ask them when I was at the centre. I was too tongue tied and a feeling of sadness overwhelmed me knowing what they have to go through. The treatment, the pain, the after effects at such a tender age. This was the time when a young kid should look up to the sky and shout 'I want to be an astronaut one day!'. These children are struggling to fight something that are robbing them of their ambition. I pray that modern medicine will find a cure for cancer one day. It is with this hope that we hang on to because hope provides us the strength to see each new day, everyday of our lives. The centre I visited was so full of love. The children were enjoying themselves with their parents caring for them. It is this love and care which is essential to help in fighting this disease. The present old site is just ten steps away from a cemetery which adds to the doom and gloom feeling. It does not have to be this way. Let's give hope to the sick children. The new centre will one day be a symbol of that Hope that provides them with the strength they need. Join in the Go Bald 2011 effort. Its not necessary we sacrifice our hair but chip in with ringgits and sens so that we may complete the new building and provide additional comfort for their quick recovery. Give these Children and many others like them this Hope.