“Laryngeal Cancer Survivor May Have Lost His Voice, But His Actions Speak Volumes
Mr Chia Hung Chiu’s Tuesday routine has been the same for decades. Rain or shine, he will attend the weekly Singapore Cancer Society’s (SCS) New Voice Club (NVC) meeting.
NVC, which started out as a laryngeal cancer support group, has now grown to welcome those battling head and neck cancers. Mr Chia Hung Chiu’s Tuesday routine has been the same for decades. Rain or shine, he will attend the weekly Singapore Cancer Society’s (SCS) New Voice Club (NVC) meeting. NVC, which started out as a laryngeal cancer support group, has now grown to welcome those battling head and neck cancers.
For 77-year-old, Mr Chia, who underwent the surgery in 1995, it has been close to 30 years since he uttered his last word.
A Life-Changing Procedure
Mr Chia shares that it was in 1993 when he first coughed up blood. The doctors confirmed that he had laryngeal cancer and sent him for radiotherapy. Two years later, his condition relapsed, forcing him to undergo laryngeal cancer resection to remove the cancerous cells.
Life changed completely. A permanent opening, called a stoma, had to be created at his neck for him to breathe. He now wears a fabric stoma cover over the stoma and scars.
As swallowing is difficult, he needs to be mindful of what he eats. Simple tasks like ordering food or asking for directions—which used to take mere seconds—now need minutes as he painstakingly writes his requests down on paper.
Having a social life has become almost impossible. Not everyone has the patience to wait for him to record his responses and reply, he says. Some friends had the misconception that he would be forced to retire early due to his stoma and eventually face financial issues. This resulted in some of them avoiding him, but Mr Chia writes to us in traditional Chinese script that that’s reality, circling the words “现实” (reality) for emphasis.
Letting His Actions Speak
The isolation that survivors feel is why Mr Chia is a firm advocate that those suffering from laryngeal cancer should join NVC. The group, he explains, is a place they will find support and encouragement to practice vital voice restoration exercises.
An active member since the group was founded in the nineties, Mr Chia was part of the NVC team that travelled to Hong Kong, where the first laryngeal cancer support group in Asia was founded. There, he learnt best practices to run a laryngeal cancer support group so they could better support laryngeal cancer patients and survivors back home.
Besides faithfully attending support group meetings each week, he enlisted the help of his sister to sew stoma covers for other survivors.
Pre-pandemic, he also regularly visited hospitals with other support group members to offer care, emotional support, and guidance to those preparing for laryngectomy.
As a member of NVC so aptly put it: “He is outstanding!”
Despite all that he has contributed to keeping the club running, Mr Chia asks for just one thing in return: For greater awareness of what NVC can offer.
Earnestly, he reiterates his wishes that hospitals will allow NVC members to conduct outreach activities, so he can do his part to connect those who are struggling with a community that truly understands.
And truly, watching Mr Chia determinedly pen down his hopes, one thing is certain: Voice or no voice, his message of support and encouragement rings loud and clear.