Nothing is more powerful than storytelling, especially when it’s told from a person’s first-hand experience.
In the Asia Pacific region, we are often known as “shy” community. We do not often share our stories publicly, especially a story about cancer diagnosis. We often have no one to turn to because we do not want our parents to worry; we do not want our children to feel the burden; we do not want to tell our neighbors who might be starting to avoid us because we are diagnosed with cancer.
But we need to change this phenomena. We need our community to understand the life of a person who is diagnosed and living with cancer. We need to create a better support system in our community, our country, and our region. We need to start telling our stories!
So this year, in the month of October, the Asia Pacific patient groups who are part of Max Global Network are putting up various platform to tell their stories:
Through these events, patients and caregivers are taking a courageous step to achieve their goals: raise cancer awareness in the community; close the gap between treatment available and treatment access; increase the level of disease understanding; advocate for non-discrimination towards people diagnosed with cancers; and ask for more attention from policy makers to channel more resources to the well-being of cancer patients.
A highlight of the patient groups’ initiative this year is Walk for CML, organized by Max Family Society Malaysia. The members of patient groups are all gearing up to walk with their physicians, nurses, friends and also members of public! They aim to send out three key messages through Walk for CML, which are “CML is not infectious,” “CML is not hereditary” and “CML is not humiliating.”
Do check out the Maximize Life Campaign events taking place in your local community and show your support today!
Mei Ching Ong is the Region Head of Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Mei Ching is based in our regional office located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although growing up in a town facing the South China Sea with beautiful beaches, she is enjoying mountains, jungles and greens more than water, that explains she is spending most of her early morning during weekends in greens. Believing in everyone is connected with each another in this cycle we call life, Mei Ching also believes everyone has roles to play to strengthen the overall well-being of lives of human.
“CANCER” what comes to your mind as you read this six letter word? The five W’s, who, what, when, where and why comes to our head. In my life, who? Was my father, when? 2004, where? In his blood and why? The million dollar question whose answer we are still searching for.
September 22 is World CML Day! Our Region Head Mei Ching Ong caught up with our partner physician in Armenia to talk about the importance of this day and bridging access to treatment and care for CML patients worldwide.
The Indian subcontinent has always been characterized by the stoic inner strength of its population that has helped them overcome natural and man-made disasters that seem to always be lying in wait for them. Burdened by their large populations, poor economy and the inept administration of their largely unstable governments, it has fallen upon the people to come to their own rescue.
And it is not so different for their health either. Besides the share of debilitating infectious diseases, many are facing a rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, such as cancer. The challenges here go beyond funding. There is fear, denial, and the heavy burden of stigma.
