The cancer was spreading. The doctor’s view was to save her life first as they could not tell how the cancer had affected the foetus. Against medical advice, Madam Siti went through with her pregnancy and gave birth prematurely about just over a month later. Madam Siti had cervical cancer in 1999 and the cancer relapsed in 2006. The Singapore Cancer Society helps her to tide over the difficult period with the Welfare Financial Aid Funding Programme.

Your contribution will go towards helping SCS to continue supplementing needy cancer patients’ low family income and the purchase of medical supplements such as milk feeds and colostomy bags.

Yes, I would like to make a donation today to help Madam Siti, and others like her.

Since 2005, Madam Mariam Abdullah, aged 80, has gone for chemotherapy treatments and popped countless pills. She has ovarian cancer and it has spread. However doctors cannot help her much unless she is willing to go for an operation to remove the cancerous tumour. But she has decided to leave her fate to God. She now takes the chemotherapy pills prescribed by her doctor. If they do not work, she is expected to have only six months to live. Madam Mariam is under the Society’s Hospice Homecare Service and your contribution will go towards helping SCS to continue providing this free service to terminally-ill cancer patients.

Ms Quiballon Mira Bautista, aged 40 and a homemaker and mother of two sons, discovered that she had Stage 2 breast cancer on her left breast in March 2008. Her initial reaction was one of shock and disbelief. Now she has come to terms with the diagnosis especially after receiving support from her family and friends, as well as members from the Look Good…Feel Better programme. Mira was introduced to the programme by a nurse from National University Hospital, where she undergoes her chemotherapy and radiation treatments. At the programme’s workshop, she was comforted at the realisation that she was not the only “botak” (bald) female around and was amazed to find herself becoming more confident and positive once with the help of make-up and a wig. In fact, she no longer feels embarrassed about her condition and now leaves home without a wig!

Ms Shelley Low, a retired teacher aged 56, discovered a nipple discharge during her regular mammogram at National University Hospital (NUH) in March 2008. Later it was diagnosed as an in-situ breast cancer between stage one and three. To get rid of the cancer, she underwent a mastectomy to remove her entire left breast. Shelley used to love putting on make-up, but due to her condition, she opted for early retirement from work and saw “no point in looking good” as her hair was no longer there. However, with encouragement from a nurse at NUH, Shelley participated in the Look Good…Feel Better programme where she once again found her motivation to look nice and feel good about herself. Her advice to women is to “Go for regular screening!”, while for others in similar situation like her, she urges them to think positive, not give up and look forward to the future.

Mira and Shelley are participants of the Look Good…Feel Better (LGFB) programme under the Singapore Cancer Society.

Your contribution will go towards helping SCS to continue providing this free, public service programme since 2002. It is dedicated to improve self-esteem through workshops conducted at hospitals to help women undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment. They learn cosmetic techniques and hair alternatives, in order to manage the appearance-related side effects brought on by cancer treatment.