Peace and Hope..

Opportunities to help others can sometimes be few and far between. But hubby and I have signed up for food deliveries to charity homes through Food From The Heart since 2002, and also Run For Hope since 2007.

This year, FFTH brings us to the PeaceHaven Nursing Home, run by the Salvation Army, where we bring much valued food items from The Sandwich Shop at Changi Business Park, for the staff there at the Nursing Home.

And as for Run For Hope, another 7000 runners showed up again this year to support a worthy cause : research for cancer cure. That's over $300,000 in the bag..well done, organisers!

Yes, let there be Peace and Hope..for all.

The Molly Lee Appeal

We came across this donation appeal - for funds to support cancer patients - in the papers this morning:

"The Molly Lee Appeal"

http://bodybeautifulphotos.wordpress.com/

Please support it ..every little bit helps, for cancer patients who are facing difficulties in funding their medical treatments.

(What a wonderful idea, Josef and team!)

CNA's TV program on Ovarian Cancer

Did you watch the full program on ovarian cancer on Channel News Asia (CNA)?
So many things to learn from this TV program. Please take the opportunity to watch this full version:

http://www.parkwaycancercentre.com/multimedia/journey-of-hope/ovarian-cancer-part-1

Nellie featured in "HealthNews" by ParkwayHealth

'If I have to, I'll fight it again' ..

I was asked to be featured in Parkway Healthcare's PCC newsletter in November, and I agreed.

Here's the full story published this month ..one that I am particularly happy with because my Mum and sister are both shown standing by my side. A lovely family moment for me..

http://www.parkwaycancercentre.com/healthnews/english/January2009/004_newsandevents_healthnews_2009_jan1.htm

Run for Hope 2008..

6.45am, the fresh smell of a light sea breeze and an inquisitive morning sun peering through the clouds .. what a lovely combo for this year's Run for Hope 2008 this month at the East Coast beach.

About 7,000 runners turned up this year to support the annual 'Run for Hope' event to raise funds for cancer research.

It's a lovely sight to see so many of us taking the initiative to give $35 per head to this most worthy of charitable causes.

Yes, it's nice to just be able to join in this effort..my 3rd consecutive Run since my chemo days. Many more to come, I know.

>>gleefully ntangle

CNA's TV program on "A Journey of Hope"..

3 weeks ago, Dr Ang Peng Tiam's office called to asked if I would be supportive of a TV program on cancer, called "A Journey of Hope". I naturally said "Yes, of course".. anything I can do to help support such a cause, I would be more than glad to do so.

Until.. I realised that I was supposed to be one of the subjects on the TV program itself! The program was to show how ovarian cancer has impacted women in Singapore, how it is now the 4th highest cancer incidence hitting women here, and how some women, afflicted by it, had been dealing with and managing this form of cancer.

"You mean I will be filmed for it.. on camera?", I asked the good doctor.

Yes, this would be the 1st time that I would be put on film.. and on TV!

I decided that it would be a worthy cause.. sharing my story, and in a way, going public. CNA wanted to film me in natural settings, so the producer, a lovely lady called Amelia, decided that the shoots would best be taken in the childcare centre where I work, and the East Coast Park, where I spend my relaxation hours.

I sms'd Hubby to ask if he was ok with it. He replied, "Sure, so long as it doesn't impact your health"..in his usual tongue-in-cheek way.

And so, on Wedn 03 Sept, the 5th episode of "A Journey of Hope" was aired. It featured 2 other fellow ovarian cancer warriors. One as young as 18. How can this be? Why is this cancer hitting women at a younger and younger age? It just doesn't seem right that this is happening.

After watching the episode in full, I was glad I plucked up the courage to support this program. The message on ovarian cancer must be told to more women. Only with an increase in awareness, can this insidious cancer be minimized, if not stopped.

Here are a few clips of this 5th episode on "A Journey of Hope".. (this battle on ovarian cancer must start with a higher awareness, then knowledge, then courage..and then there shall be hope!)

/gleefully ntangle

Giving Back..in Our Own Ways

Supporting charitable causes, in whatever small ways, has long been an area of interest for us, although in most cases, they have been of a passing kind.

But once an illness like cancer emerges in your life, you tend to view things differently. All of a sudden, a magnifying-glass-effect starts to get focused on charitable causes that are aligned to your own disease, and those whose lives are also touched by that disease in similar ways.

And so, when we first read that the Terry Fox Run would be held in Sentosa, we took the first drive up to the registration-booth at The Regent Hotel and signed on.. merely 3 months after my chemo cycle in Sept 2006. And on that day, amidst a slight drizzle, over 7000 supporters run the 3 km route around the beach at Sentosa.

Inside of me, it was a personal triumph to be able to complete the route.. it sure felt good to be able to run again!

Since then, we have made it a point to support this "Run for Hope", just like Terry Fox did. And we hope to run every year till we are well into our 70's, if not 80's!

Similarly, when we got the "LiveStrong" wristbands through the post from Lance Armstrong's Foundation last month, we felt a nice tinge in our bodies when we slipped it around our wrist. Anytime we start to take things for granted now or we slip into self-pity, we will pull this rubber wristband so that it snaps back..reminding us of how lucky we are.

The Food-from-the-Heart Foundation, an incredibly simple yet enormously effective charitable cause to bring un-sold food or bread to the less fortunate, again gave us the opportunity to give back. The 'run' we do every week, since Jan 2003, brings us to The Muhammadiyah Welfare Home in Mountbatten, an easy 4km from The Blossom pasterie shop at Paya Lebar SingPost centre. And somehow, this has turned out to be one of the most fulfilling activities for us, week in and week out.

Yes, it is a good feeling..to be able to give back, in our own small ways.

/gleefully ntangle