Happenings & News

And Mr Wesley Lye, who was just nine then, did not know how to respond to his classmates when they asked him why he had to pin a black ribbon on his school uniform shirt.

Saddened and confused, Mr Lye tried to forget about his grandfather’s unsuccessful battle against the disease.

But 15 years on, Mr Lye, now 24, who graduated from Nanyang Technological University last year, wants to let others know that they are not alone in the fight against the No. 1 killer in Singapore.

So he sent his deceased grandfather a “Daffodil Candle” – a condolence message to a relative or friend who died from cancer which can be viewed by the public – on the Daffodil Days microsite, www.DaffodilDays.sg.

The microsite, which is linked from the Singapore Cancer Society website, was launched last month as part of the annual Daffodil Days celebration – a month-long global programme to raise funds for and awareness of the fight against cancer.

The programme was launched on April 1 by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan during the 2XU Compression Run along Nicoll Highway.

This is the first time that a microsite was launched in conjunction with the celebration.

Sharing of personal stories

Apart from sending “Daffodil Candles”, users can, among other things, send “Bouquets of Daffodils” – messages to recognise the efforts of caregivers – or simply share their personal story of their battle against the cancer.

All posts are free and can be viewed by the public.

Mr Lye said of his grandfather: “I was very close to him and he always made me laugh. He was also the one who (inculcated) spiritual values in me and taught me to appreciate what I have.

“I was really shocked and sad when he passed away, and I tried to avoid talking about his death.

“But now, I realise that there is no hiding from this disease and there are many people who suffer from it or know someone who suffers from it.

“The Daffodil Days (microsite) allows me to let others know that they are not alone and there are people who care for them.”

The microsite has garnered about 100,000 views since it was launched and there are several posts on it.

Mr Charles Lee, a senior counsellor at the Tanjong Pagar Family Service Centre, said the platform is a good place for an exchange of support by people affected by cancer.

He said: “For those who are (battling) cancer, they would be encouraged by the messages from people who have recovered or are fighting the disease.

“And the people who have recovered would also want to encourage others by showing their support through this platform.”

Other features of the microsite include information on cancer prevention and screening services for the disease.

Madam Judith Mala, who lost her father to cancer, said she is encouraged to hear about the platform.

Said the mother of three, who’s in her 40s: “The microsite is useful and I think people would be encouraged and inspired by the posts.

“Other organisations fighting against diseases should also consider creating such a platform.”

This article was first published in The New Paper.

People fiddling with their smart phones and tuning in to their music, staring listlessly into space in an attempt to avoid meeting the eyes of the one standing right opposite him. Someone accidentally brushes past and hits his elbow.

tsk.

Sounds familiar? The MRT on a busy morning.

Ever watched 跑吧，孩子！or those nostalgic Channel 8 kampong shows, where it seemed like everyone was friends with everyone, and kids literally LOVED the tok tok mian and ice cream uncle? Yes, sooooo old school, we all wish we were in that era, doing the things they did, running around wild in our kampongs. But what ever happened? The same people residing in this country, but what is it about city life that differs from that kampong that our parents experienced 40 years back?

It’s the pace of life, the development of the country and how it has led us to put other priorities ahead of us. No longer people but things. We treasure that new gadget more than our relationships. We claw for that next 5 figure salary at the expense of our family. And on an everyday basis, we overlook the people around us and their needs in our drive to focus on getting work done.

So, what, really, is Project Hello Stranger about?

Project Hello Stranger is a voluntary movement by a group of Singaporean youths who want to see a happier Singapore. As like in many cities, we are often forced or socialized into building a wall around us due to the competition that we are used to in school and at work, and that permeates into other areas of our lives. However, we know that within those walls lie big hearts and we aim to break them down by infecting Singaporeans with the spirit of giving and love.

This movement involve lots of guerilla strategies and engagement of Singaporeans mainly through social media as we carry out different activities to get Singaporeans to show their soft and friendly side. We believe that a simple act of kindness can spread a whole lot of joy and warmth to the people around us and that’s exactly what Project Hello Stranger is about.

So join us now in putting our hearts into use. Let’s spread some love!

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/ProjectHelloStranger
BLOG: HelloStrangerProject.wordpress.com
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/HelloStranger12

The Bone Marrow Donor Programme (BMDP) announced its intention to expand its local register by a further 5,000 volunteer donors this year.

BMDP is a Singapore-based non-profit organisation which partners transplant hospitals here to identify matching bone marrow donors for patients stricken with diseases such as leukaemia and lymphoma, who need a bone marrow transplant in order to survive.

The odds of finding a match is only 1:20,000. Expanding the register is thus critical, especially in consideration of the prevalence of small families here, which makes finding a matching family member difficult, said BMDP President Jane Prior.

BMDP relies on public and corporate donations to fund their work.

The total cost of running the organisation is around $1.5 million per annum, including the $750,000.00 required for the 5,000 new donors to be added to the register.

In March, the BMDP’s annual charity ball raised $580,000. These funds will be channelled in to growing the local register, said BMDP.

The amount is expected to cover the cost of adding 80 per cent of this year’s target number of additional donors.

The register today has around 50,000 volunteer donors all signed up and fully tissue typed.

As a donor match is most likely to be found from within the same ethnic group, the target is to expand significantly the registers for the minority groups, BMDP said.

“Public education is key. There are many myths about the donation process and even the requirements for signing up,” said Prior.

She clarified that all it takes is a simple mouth swab to sign up as a donor. This can even be managed remotely via mail.

Today’s bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant is no longer a high-risk procedure, saving lives that would otherwise be lost unnecessarily to these most common forms of cancer, said BMDP.

Once a search request is received, the search begins in Singapore and will extend around the world if required. The organisation received preliminary search requests for 174 patients last year, and found successful matches for 51 patients.

When a donor is confirmed as a patient match, BMDP makes sure he or she is fit and healthy to donate.

Last year, five local donors gave their bone marrow to patients in Singapore, as well as Hong Kong and the US.

yamadak@sph.com.sg

Source: Asiaone

Three final-year Nanyang Technological University (NTU) communications students have taken it upon themselves to highlight the plight of caregivers in Singapore.

In partnership with the Health Promotion Board and the Asian Women’s Welfare Association (AWWA)’s Centre for Caregivers, their final-year project titled “Walk With Me: A Caregiver’s Journey” aims to raise awareness of the need for caregivers to take care of themselves, as well as the people under their charge.

Traditionally, the term “caregiver” refers to professional care providers such as doctors, nurses and other healthcare staff.

But what the three-member team hopes to educate the public about is that the term should cover everyone who administers care to a loved one. That would include people who look after spouses, dependents or other relatives who suffer from disabilities, and mental, terminal, chronic or life-limiting illnesses, as well as old age.

A member of the team, 25-year-old Ng Jun Feng, told Yahoo! Singapore that Singapore’s population of caregivers will inevitably grow, highlighting that at the moment, their needs are not being attended to.

“They are often neglected, for example, by friends who visit them,” said Ng. “Friends of caregivers are more likely to ask about the condition of the person they care for instead of showing concern for the caregivers themselves — for instance, the stress they’re facing.”

His teammate, 22-year-old Candy Leow, noted that the provision of care applies to people of all backgrounds and circumstances.

“This is something that crosses socioeconomic boundaries,” she said. “Regardless of (one’s circumstances), you might still become a caregiver, as long as you have an elderly family member requiring your attention… caregiving is not something you can avoid.”

The need for caregivers is becoming increasingly crucial as Singapore’s population ages, with one in five Singaporeans slated to be aged 65 or older by the year 2030.

Compounding the problem, the average nuclear family size here is steadily decreasing, according to figures from the Centre for Enabled Living (CEL), a unit of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

“This indicates that all of us will become family caregivers, in one way or another,” said Leow. “It’s a journey we may all have to undergo, be it short or long, depending on the needs of our care recipients.”

Need to seek help

Leow said a lack of self-recognition of a person as a caregiver could seriously cripple his or her ability to provide good care to the people depending on them.

“Asians, in particular, see taking care of elderly parents as an act of filial piety — many people tell us, well, it’s my family… my mum, my dad, I just have to do it,” she said. “They just see it as something they ought to do, and may not understand that they can and should prepare themselves for this role.”

According to the NTU team, a key issue that caregivers experience is a reluctance to seek help themselves, even as they provide constant support to their loved ones.

“You may be able to cope with medical bills, but caregiving as an act, day in, day out, emotionally it can be taxing, whether you’re rich or poor — and asking for help really isn’t that bad,” she added.

[Click here for a PDF guide on self-care for caregivers]

The campaign, which was conducted through February and early March, involved outreach efforts including exhibitions at clinics and hospitals, block visits and a workshop for caregivers. It aimed also to counter the notion that help should only be sought when it “really is needed”.

Caregivers have needs, too

CEL’s assistant manager in research, planning and implementation, Ong Heng, shared that some of the challenges that caregivers face include the lack of personal time to rest and dealing with the financial burden involved in taking care of another person.

“[The lack of personal time to unwind and rest] usually leads to neglect, depression and complete exhaustion,” he said.

Director of AWWA’s Centre for Caregivers Manmohan Singh adds that the daily challenges of dealing with one’s emotions of frustration, guilt, anger and anxiety that arise from caregiving also add to the strain of caregivers.

The government, however, isn’t sitting still.

Together with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), the CEL runs awareness talks on caregiving, as well as caregiver training programmes and courses. The government also provides an annual caregivers training grant of $200, beefed up by the $120 monthly foreign domestic worker levy grant for families who hire helpers for the care of their elderly relatives, which will be available from later this year.

Acknowledging, in particular, its latest efforts in its budget to allocate subsidies and support toward programmes that help the elderly and disabled, Manmohan says these initiatives have to be complemented by other indirectly involved parties as well.

“Employers could look more kindly into caregiver leave for all full-time employees in Singapore, or flexible working hours for caregivers,” he said, adding that the government could lead by example in providing initiatives to encourage private sector employers to adopt schemes like this.

Just last month, the AIC and CEL also launched an online community for caregivers on Facebook, called CarersSG, aimed at providing a place for caregivers here to pool information, resources and experiences on providing care for the elderly.

“We hope to bring caregivers and potential ones together, to encourage them to see caregiving for their loved one positively,” said AIC representative Chong Jian Bing. “We want to assure them that they are not alone in this journey as there are many others who are doing the same out there.”

Source: YahooSG