KUCHING
5 JANUARY 2026
At six years old, Christian Deo Anak Dennis should be chasing friends, scraping his knees, and filling his days with laughter and play.
Instead, his childhood is marked by hospital rooms, needles, and long days of treatment. While other children learn their first games, Deo is learning words no child should have to know — chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy.
For Deo and his family, childhood was replaced overnight by a fight for survival.
Diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a rare type of nerve cell cancer, Deo is fighting for something every child deserves: the chance to grow up. His journey is not just a medical battle. It is a fight against time, fear, and the rising cost of life-saving treatment that many families cannot afford on their own.
According to Dr Ong Eng-Joe, a paediatric oncologist and SCCS medical advisor, “For patients with high risk neuroblastoma like Deo, even after months of treatment involving chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery to remove as much neuroblastoma cancer cells as possible from the body, immunotherapy is needed to destroy the remaining cancer cells. Without immunotherapy, children with high-risk neuroblastoma face a much lower chance of survival.”
With this specialised treatment, families are given hope — and time. But hope comes at a cost few families can afford.
Deo was one of just three children supported by the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) in 2025 to receive immunotherapy, a treatment that can mean the difference between life and death for children with aggressive cancer. His case is the most expensive supported by SCCS in its history, with RM590,000 spent on immunotherapy alone.
Since his diagnosis, Deo has endured eight rounds of chemotherapy with additional sessions, two surgeries, a stem cell transplant, fourteen sessions of radiotherapy, and five cycles of immunotherapy, with one cycle completed so far.
Beyond treatment, SCCS is also helping Deo’s family survive the daily reality of cancer. Besides the halfway home in Kuching which also provides food and transport at no cost, where Deo and his mother stays when they are not in treatment, the Society covered flights and taxi fares for treatment in Kuala Lumpur, totalling RM2,543, and provided a weekly hospital allowance of RM100 to support basic living needs during long hospital stays.
For Deo’s mother, SCCS became a lifeline.
“SCCS is like a ray of light in the morning and moonlight at night,” she said. “They gave us hope when everything felt uncertain. SCCS covered all of Deo’s additional treatment and medical costs, helped us with accommodation, food supplies, and even flight tickets and taxi arrangements when we had to travel to Kuala Lumpur. Because of them, I could focus fully on my child’s treatment instead of worrying about money.”
She also shared a message for other parents facing the same fear.
“Patience and positivity are key as your child’s behaviour changes throughout treatment. Be attentive and keep learning about your child’s illness. When you feel tired, sad, or hopeless, find something to fill that time, whether it is praying, listening to music, or watching a drama.”
According to the President of SCCS, Deo’s story is not unique.
“Deo’s journey is one of many,” the President said. “In 2025 alone, SCCS spent approximately RM2 million on medical aid for more than 100 children, our highest spend ever recorded since we were registered in 2001. Treatments today are more advanced, more targeted, and more effective — but they are also significantly more expensive. Immunotherapy, in particular, can mean the difference between relapse and survival. Our role is to ensure that no family ever has to choose between finances and their child’s life.”
The President added that SCCS stands with families from diagnosis to recovery.
“We cover additional treatment and medical costs beyond the government hospital’s primary care, provide accommodation with transport and food supplies, and assist families who must seek treatment outside Sarawak by arranging flights, transport, and weekly allowances for eligible families. All that we are able to do is only possible through the continued generosity and trust of our donors and partners.”
Along the way, small moments kept the family going — a smile after weeks of silence, a positive response to treatment, the quiet strength of grandparents caring for siblings back home, and the support of SCCS staff and fellow parents at Ward 2A and the SCCS Centre.
Deo’s fight is a reminder that childhood cancer is not just a medical battle. It is a financial one.
SCCS relies on public support to continue funding life-saving treatments like immunotherapy. Every donation, no matter the size, helps give children with cancer a chance to survive — and to grow up. Members of the public who wish to support children like Deo can contribute to the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society at https://sccs.org.my/donate-now/ or call 082686276, and be part of saving young lives.
-ENDS-
About Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS)
Mission: To provide care and support for Malaysian children and their families who are suffering from childhood cancer in Sarawak.
The Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society is a non-profit organisation founded in November 2001, dedicated to meeting the needs of families of patients diagnosed with paediatric cancer in Sarawak irrespective of race, religion, age or gender. The SCCS committee is made up of 70% patients’ parents and 30% volunteers. The Society has supported more than 1,700 children since 2001.
Our Services
*please note numbers are from 2024 as 2025 numbers have not been finalised.
Support
Through counselling sessions, home visits, support programmes, youth and family camps, and informal friendships, SCCS provides emotional and moral support to members of its community. In 2024, SCCS provided more than 700 caring sessions and 36 counselling sessions to patients and families.
Accommodation
SCCS operates a 14-bedroom Children’s Cancer Centre (CCC) as a temporary living house for outstation patients, with full provision of food and amenities. Daily shuttle services are provided to and from the hospital. The home housed 40 families in 2024.
Financial Assistance
Caring for a child with cancer is beyond the means of most of the patients we serve. To families
demonstrating financial need, SCCS provides monetary assistance through monthly financial
subsidies, medical treatment not covered by the government and transport subsidies. 46 families
received financial aid in 2024, amounting to a total of RM109,500.00 while monthly transport
subsidies were provided to a total amount of RM56,632.76 for 49 families. SCCS provided RM762,786 in medical sponsorships for procedures, drugs, consumables, lab tests, and prostheses for 48 patients.
Education
SCCS holds talks and campaigns to educate the public about cancer and the stigmas often attached to it. Educational and craft activities are also organised for the children to keep their minds off the treatment. SCCS also supports funding for medical staff training to allow them to provide better care for the patients. 21 medical staff received training supported by SCCS and saw over 8,000 attendees at their annual childhood cancer awareness event in 2024.
Recreation
SCCS organises outings, holiday camps, children’s parties and other activities for children and their families to heighten the spirit of the families. For children with cancer, each birthday is a victory. SCCS held birthday celebrations for 106 children in 2024.
Official Website: www.sccs.org.my
Facebook: fb.com/sccsmy
Instagram: @sccsmy
