12-year-old Benneth, with his child-like charm and friendly personality, was well-liked by many of the families and children staying with him at the SCCS Halfway Home. His mother and himself, recounts their story:
The First Signs
It all started when I kept having trouble breathing. I was coughing all the time, and it just wouldn’t go away. My dad got worried and so my family brought me to the hospital in Limbang to get checked.
When we got there, the doctors said I needed to stay in the hospital for a full check-up. But I didn’t want to. We had a family trip to Kota Kinabalu coming up, and I really didn’t want to miss it—I mean, who wants to be stuck in a hospital when they could be on holiday?
So we went on the trip anyway.
After we got back, my sister brought me back to the hospital for another check-up. I was super annoyed and kept grumbling the whole time. I didn’t think it was anything serious. But the doctors were concerned and said my breathing problems could get worse if we didn’t find out what was going on.
That’s when they did a full examination and found something in my lungs. They sent me for a blood test immediately. Not long after that, the results came back—I had cancer. Everything happened really fast after that. My brother bought plane tickets right away, and we flew to Kuching so I could start treatment.
When we arrived at Sarawak General Hospital(SGH), it was so big we got lost trying to find the Paediatric Ward 2A where I was supposed to go. My brother and I had never been in a hospital that huge before! We finally found it, but I was already so tired from all the walking around. That’s when things really began.
My Treatment Journey
At SGH, the doctors diagnosed me with Mixed Germ Cell Tumour.
Mixed Germ Cell Tumour is a rare type of cancer that is made up of at least two different types of germ cell tumours (cells that develop into sperm or eggs). Mixed germ cell tumours occur most often in the ovary or testicle, but they may also occur in the chest, abdomen, or brain.
I started chemotherapy not long after I was admitted. My mum stayed with me while my brother went home. Later, the doctors told me I’d need surgery on my heart because they found a tumour in my chest.
Honestly, even though it was scary, I was lucky. My treatment went pretty smoothly. I didn’t struggle much with the medication, and I was able to adjust to all the changes better than I expected. I still had a good appetite the whole time—my mum even joked that I gained weight!
The only sad part was that after my heart surgery, the doctors said I shouldn’t play intense sports anymore. That hit me hard. I love football and running, and I really missed playing with my friends and joining PE at school. I especially missed my PE teacher.
Support Away from Home
When we weren’t at the hospital, my mum and I stayed at the SCCS Halfway Home. I loved it there. I had my own room and there was a cool playroom where the SCCS team always had activities to cheer us up. I made a lot of new friends there—kids who were also getting treatment like me.
SCCS helped us so much. They gave us a place to stay, helped with transport to the hospital, and even supported us with financial aid. I’m really thankful for everything they’ve done. Even though I missed my school and friends back home, I felt well taken care of by the SCCS team and the hospital staff in Kuching.
When I was feeling well, I’d play football or volleyball with the other kids, toning it down a lot to just kicking or passing the ball to each other. I also love fried chicken—I’d eat it whenever I had the chance, especially since I couldn’t have it during my operation days!
Moving Forward
After a while, my mum and I went back home for a short break. But soon, we had to return to Kuching for another surgery—this time to remove one of my kidneys, because it had stopped working.
Even though it was another operation, a part of me was actually kind of happy to come back. I got to see some of my friends at the centre again. I was just really grateful that my treatment had been going well so far, and I believed things would be okay.
From My Mum
As of September 2024, Benneth has completed his active treatment, and we’re finally back home. It’s been such a relief to be together again as a family. Watching Benneth reunite with his siblings has been especially heartwarming. He’s even returned to school. Although his teachers mentioned that he’s a little behind, I believe he’ll catch up in time.
Life is starting to feel normal again. I’m grateful to be surrounded by all my children, and to have some sense of routine back. We still travel to Miri Hospital for Benneth’s follow-up checkups, and we’re always happy to see the SCCS team whenever they come for Clinic Days. Benneth has also kept in touch with the friends he made during treatment—he even visited some of them during Raya this year.
If there’s one thing I want to say to other parents or children facing something like this, it’s this: Don’t give up. Be strong, stay patient, and fight through it. You can get better. Never lose hope.
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