“I love playing badminton and drawing, and I miss going to school. I hope to return to school soon after I recover!”

Sam Run A/L Samri, a 12-year-old Siamese boy from Klian Intan, Perak, has had headaches and a swollen face since February last year. He went to the doctor for a blood test but could not find the cause. Later, the boy sought medical treatment after a fall, and the doctor accidentally discovered that he had a tumour in his brain. After multiple surgeries, radiotherapy and chemotherapy sessions, the cancer cells have recurred. The doctor recommended an autologous stem cell transplant. His single mother cannot afford the medical expenses; hence, she pleads for help for RM105,000.

【The boy lives in a remote mountainous area, and seeking medical treatment is difficult. He needs to travel a few hours to the hospital, which is very costly, time-consuming, and energy-consuming. However, his single mother does not want to give up on her son. She is unwilling to give up and accompanies him despite all the hardships】

Sam Run complained to his mother about headaches in early February 2023. After seeking medical treatment, the clinic provided him with some painkillers. Unexpectedly, his face was swollen a week later, and he returned to the doctor. However, the blood test did not show any abnormalities. Two weeks later, the boy fell at home and was sent to a nearby hospital. After various examinations, the doctor found that he had a tumour in his brain and referred him to Alor Setar Hospital for treatment. The doctor later confirmed that he had a Pineal Gland Germ Cell Tumour.

At that time, the doctor performed an incision on the scalp and then injected medication into his boy’s brain. After the surgery, the boy stayed in the hospital for three days, and the doctor discharged him from the hospital. A week later, he returned to the hospital to remove the stitches, and the doctor referred him to Penang Hospital for radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

The patient started his first cycle of chemotherapy in March 2023 and continued to receive 30 sessions of radiotherapy. After that, the boy went to the hospital monthly for his regular follow-up visits and observation, and his condition was stable.

In January this year, when the patient had a regular follow-up blood test, the doctor informed him his blood index was irregular, and the doctor also discovered that the brain tumour had grown by 3cm, confirming that his cancer cells had recurred. At that time, the doctor activated his chemotherapy to shrink the brain tumour and performed surgery to remove the tumour in August. However, the tumour grew deep in the brain, and the doctor could only remove 80% of the cancer cells. He later continued with his third cycle of chemotherapy.

The boy’s eyes were swollen during this period due to bacterial infection. He was isolated in a special ward and continued with his chemotherapy session. The doctor recommended that after killing the cancer cells, he should undergo an autologous stem cell transplant to reduce the chance of cancer cell recurrence. However, the cost was RM105,000. His single mother was poor and could not afford it. Hence, she sought assistance.

The boy’s father, Samri A/L Din Mi, died of a heart attack seven years ago when the boy was just five. Samri was a rubber tapper. His 45-year-old mother, Ni Sraa A/P Thawon, raises four children by herself after the passing of her husband. She earns a meagre income of a few hundred ringgits by tapping rubber and receives financial aid from the Welfare Department to barely cover the needs of the family.

Now, her second son is ill, and the single mother needs to frequently go to the hospital to accompany the boy for his treatment. She needs to bear hundreds of ringgits in transportation fees. Her 15-year-old eldest son has dropped out of school and has taken on the responsibility of earning money by tapping rubber. He also cares for his 11-year-old and nine-year-old younger siblings and sends them to school.

Sam Run is a shy and quiet boy. He and his siblings attend Chinese primary school. He will go to Kuala Lumpur for autologous stem cell transplantation at the end of December. The doctor expects him to undergo observation in the hospital for a month, and his mother seeks help with RM105,000 in medical expenses.

After reviewing the case, One Hope Charity decided to assist the boy in raising the medical expenses he needed. ONE HOPE CHARITY will allocate RM 10,000 from the "Emergency Medical and Contingency Reserve Fund" to support the cause. Call One Hope Charity’s hotline at 04-539 9212, 016-419 2192, 019-232 2192 or 018-911 4192 if you have questions or wish to donate.