Raising One Billion Rupiah to Fight Cancer...: March 2009

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Sarah went back home...

The doctor sent Sarah home because her Neutrophil is too low (0.21). She needs at least 1.0 of Neutrophil in her blood to undergo the chemotherapy.
Pray for this special intention please. Thanks.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Dear Dad, Mum, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunties, Uncles, cousins and all my friends,

I am going to have my third chemo treatment tomorrow morning. My lovely Mum and my gorgeous Grandma are preparing everything to bring to the hospital tomorrow. Look at my new necklaces and my new hat..."Do I look pretty Mum?" I asked my Mum, and she cuddled me "Yes of course you're always pretty, my little angel", that's my Mum... she's always nice to me.
Please pray for me that I would have enough Neutrophil in my blood so I would be strong enough to undergo the chemotherapy tomorrow.

My mum and dad are a bit nervous at the moment, but I'm sure that Jesus will hep me because He has been helping me since I came here almost 2 months ago. Jesus is always beside me all the time. He never leaves me alone. He sent His angles to accompany me when my Mum and Dad were too tired to look after me.

Jesus has been teaching me to always be happy , be joyful and be thankful no matter what the situation is. But sometimes it's not easy for me when I feel the pain in my lung, but Jesus asked me to be happy and thankful no matter what. I just want to obey Him, because I know that Jesus will heal me completely, I just need to be happy and thankful.

I have asked Jesus to strengthen my Mum and Dad all the time and keep them healthy so that they can look after me. I also asks Jesus to give My Dad an extra strength so that he can work well to pay the cost of my treatments in Singapore. Jesus said to me that He will provide everything I need. That is so true. He has been providing everything I need since the first day I came here.

That's all I want to share now...
don't forget to pray for me...
I love you Jesus....
I love you Mum...
I love you Dad...
and I love you all.... Jesus loves you all...

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:5-7

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Financial Report

We would like to say thank you so much for all donations you have given to Sarah to cover her medication cost in Singapore.

Total Fund Raising at a glance as at 10 March 2009
* NZ$ 1278.40
* Rp 54 juta (BCA)
* Rp 10,4 juta (bank Niaga)
* Rp 162 ribu (cash)

Thanks again....God bless you all..
Sarah still needs a lot of prayers and financial support to complete her medication in Singapore. Sarah now is in NUH, she's been hospitalized for 3 days to help her increase her Neutrophil (Neutrophil granulocytes, generally referred to as neutrophils, are the most abundant type of white blood cells in humans and form an essential part of the immune system.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrophil)

Sarah is having her third Chemotherapy on the 17 March 2009.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Sarah with her Mum, Grandma and Friends

Sarah with Mum...Santi..

Sarah is playing with grandma.... she looks very happy...

Thank to Auntie Nonon and Claudia for the puzzles...

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Sarah is back to Hospital...

She's having blood transfusion in hospital (8 March 2009)
Pray for Sarah please.

WHAT IS CHILDHOOD CANCER ?

Cancer is an uncontrolled and abnormal cell growth that can spread to other parts of the body, wreaking havoc and disrupting normal bodily functions. Childhood cancers grow more rapidly than adult cancers because the cancer tissues grow together with the fast-growing tissues of the child.

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Common types of childhood cancer :

Leukaemia
Leukaemia is the cancer of the blood-forming cells. These abnormal, immature white blood cells start to grow abundantly and invade other tissues and organs. They also crowd out and slow the production of normal blood cells (white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets) in the bone marrow. The most common form of Leukaemia among young children is Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Brain tumour
It is the most common type of solid tumours in children. It forms when cells in the brain or nervous system start growing abnormally and clump together to form a tumour which then disrupts the normal brain functions.

Lymphoma
It is the cancer of the lymph glands which starts in the lymphoid tissue found all over the body. Lymphoma causes swelling of lymph nodes in the neck, armpit and groin. There are two broad varieties of lymphoma: Hodgkin's disease and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the latter being more common in children.

Other types of childhood cancer
Osteosarcoma - cancer of the bone
Neuroblastoma - cancer of the sympathetic nervous system.
Wilms' Tumour- cancer of the kidney

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Different Modes of Treatment
Chemotherapy
The use of drugs to destroy cancer cells throughout the body.

Radiotherapy
The use of radiation to kill cancer cells.

Surgery
Usually combined with radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Bone marrow transplant
A bone marrow transplant is a procedure in which healthy bone marrow is given to replace the bone marrow of cancer patients who are not responding to conventional therapy.

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Side effects of treatment
Common side effects:
- Hair loss
- Changes in appetite
- Susceptibility to infection
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain and burning at injection site (especially for chemotherapy)
- Mouth soreness and ulcers
- Constipation
- Bone marrow depression (low blood counts)
- Skin damage (especially for radiation damage)

Less common side effects:
- Allergic reactions such as rash, shortness of breath
- Jaundice (yellow tint of the skin and eyes)
- Blood in the urine
- Tiredness
- Lack of co-ordination

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Psychological and social effects of childhood cancer :

Stress & behavioural changes in children:
Treatments can impact on the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of the child. They may experience mood swings or confusion about their diagnosis and their parents' reactions. It is important to spend time listening to children and trying to understand their feelings to help them cope.

Disruption to school: Children have to stop school temporarily until their doctor gives the go-ahead. Parents need to consider positive ways to engage and occupy the children. It is useful to inform the school of the children's conditions, maintain contact periodically and work with the schools to help with their re-integration after treatment.

Anxiety over long-term effects of illness & treatment: Some treatments may have long-term effects on children, and more information can be obtained from the doctor.

Impact on siblings: Siblings of the sick child may feel neglected as attention is focused on the child with cancer. Involve siblings by explaining to them what is happening and discuss questions and concerns that they may have.

Coping with marital strain & employment issues: Couples may experience strain and tension due to the stress of taking care of a sick child and having less time together. Stress may also take the form of employers not understanding the situation. It is helpful for couples to communicate their worries and feelings and work out solutions together. Support systems like extended family members can be tapped upon to help care for children so that parents can rest.

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Facts and myths about childhood cancer

Myth 1: Cancer is contagious and can spread like flu.
Fact 1: Cancer is not contagious.

Cancer cannot be spread from one child to another. We isolate children with cancer as their immunity is low and are vulnerable to infections.

Myth 2: Childhood cancers are inherited.
Fact 2: There is no known cause for most childhood cancers.

At least 95 % of the cancers in children occur spontaneously. Since the triggers of most childhood cancers are unknown, preventive measures are limited. Thus far, studies suggest that there is nothing a child or parent did to induce cancer, and therefore, should avoid doing in order to prevent childhood cancer.

Myth 3: Childhood cancers are a death sentence.
Fact 3: Most childhood cancers are curable.

For example, in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, which is a common form of Leukaemia in Singapore, 3 in 4 children will be cured with chemotherapy alone. A successful cure depends on receiving the current-day standard therapy, a positive attitude and determination to overcome cancer.

Myth 4: Children with cancer lose all reasons for living.
Fact 4: Children with cancer can still lead a normal childhood.

Children with cancer can lead a normal childhood. Many children return to normal school life after treatment. In other cases, the children and their families adapt and modify their lifestyle to achieve normalcy. This becomes much easier with care, understanding and support from family, teachers, friends and other caregivers.

Myth 5: All tumours are cancerous
Fact 5: Not all tumours are cancerous.

Tumours are either benign or malignant. Malignant tumours are cancerous cells that invade and spread to other parts of the body. In contrast, benign tumours invade tissues surrounding it and generally do not spread.
From : http://www.ccf.org.sg/

Raising One Billion Rupiah to Fight Cancer...

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Sarah went back home...

Monday, March 16, 2009

a letter from Sarah

Philippians 4:5-7

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Financial Report

Monday, March 9, 2009

Sarah with her Mum, Grandma and Friends

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Sarah is back to Hospital...

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