Mr Joey Kurian was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer in 2016. He is currently in St Joseph's Home and under the care of the SCS Hospice Care team.
When he was first presented the news about his condition, he fell into depression. He also needed to undergo surgery to remove the tumour but was unable to do so as his BMI level was low.
3 months after that, he returned for a CT scan and found that the tumour has grown – he needed to undergo urgent chemotherapy sessions. He completed 14 cycles and later underwent an operation. Altogether, 17 cancerous lymph nodes were removed. Due to reaction to the chemotherapy he had to stop the rounds and take oral medication instead.
In July 2017, one of his friend’s told him about the SCS Cancer Rehabilitation Centre. He had to stop after a few sessions as he could not travel to the centre. Subsequently as his condition deteroriated, a staff from SCS called him up and recommended SCS Hospice Care.
Dr Teoh Ren Shang, a Senior Resident Physician of SCS Hospice Care together with a nurse visits Mr Joey often to help him manage his symptoms and improve the quality of his life.
“I am very glad that the SCS Hospice Care team came to my support. They eased my loneliness and helped me manage my pain and symptoms. Dr Teoh and the nurses helped me manage my Parkinson's disease as well. Dr Teoh still visits me quite often, even after I moved to St Joseph Home around June 2018. Most importantly they gave me the emotional support when I needed it,” said Mr Joey when we visited him at the Home.
Mr Joey remains a jovial and positive spirit even though he is under palliative care. He does his part by giving back to the society by sharing his story. He participated in the World Hospice Day roadshow in June 2018 by sharing his story to raise awareness.
In 2017, SCS initiated a collaboration with Project Happy Apples (PHA), a volunteer befriender service comprising of medical and nursing students. Mr Joey Kurian, was featured prominently in a poster and video display at the PHA exhibition, in which he expressed praise and gratitude to the SCS Hospice Care team.
You can do your part to help beneficiaries like Mr Joey Kurian. To donate click: https://www.singaporecancersociety.org.sg/get-involved/donate.html