Karen, Malaysia
The Distance to Care: A Story of Cancer, Community, and Dignity
Cancer. The word alone carries a weight that is felt across borders, in every corner of the world. Yet, the experience of battling it is vastly different for each person, shaped by where they live, the resources available, and the choices they must make.
In Felda Bersia, Perak, Malaysia, healthcare is not a given; it’s a journey. Here, hospitals are hours away, and sometimes that distance becomes a barrier too difficult to cross. For those living in rural areas, the reality of cancer is often a struggle not just against the disease, but against isolation, against circumstances that make even basic care feel out of reach.
I’ll never forget him - a man who became more than just a patient. A man in his final chapter, but one still worth fighting for.
He had stage 4 prostate cancer. A disease that had spread beyond what medicine could reverse. He had stopped seeking treatment, not because he had given up, but because the oncology hospital was too far, the burden too great. His body bore the consequences of this distance - a sacral wound so severe that his spine was exposed, raw and oozing. The kind of wound you don’t just see; you feel, in the pit of your stomach, because no one should have to endure such suffering alone.
He spoke only in Mandarin, his voice thin, tired. Through my medical officer, he asked, “Why are you here?”
"Because you deserve to be seen," I told him.
And so, that afternoon, we did what we could.
We debrided his wound, carefully removing the dead, infected tissue -painful, yes, but necessary for healing. We dressed it with care, not just for cleanliness, but for dignity. We started him on dual antibiotics, not in false hope of a cure, but to ease the infection eating away at his body.
We gave him medication for pain management - not to take away the inevitable, but to make his days more bearable. And physiotherapy, because even in his fragile state, he deserved movement, comfort, and the ability to sit up without pain.
With time, something changed.
The Small Victories That Matter
His wound, though still present, began to improve. The infection that had once threatened to consume him started to fade. He found strength where there had been none.
One day, he sat up on his own. The next, he asked for a proper meal. Then, he joked with his children, their laughter ringing through the small home.
And then, a moment we did not expect - he wanted to get up, stand and walk around.
His body, once resigned to stillness, longed for movement. He tried. He fell.
But the fight in him was still there.
We adjusted our approach, our visits becoming less frequent but always intentional. His wound healing, his spirit stronger. And for a while, he was not just a cancer patient. He was a father, a grandfather, a man who could sit upright in the sun again.
And Then, He Was Gone
One day, the call came. But this time, it was different.
He had passed away.
Not in a sterile hospital room, surrounded by machines. Not with strangers in white coats as his final witnesses.
But at home, where the walls knew his laughter. Where the people he loved were close enough to hold his hand as he took his last breath.
He did not die in agony. He did not die forgotten.
He left this world with dignity.
Why This Story Must Be Told
This is cancer care in rural communities. This is what happens when hospitals are too far, when treatments are inaccessible, when people quietly suffer because they have no other choice.
Not every patient with cancer will survive. But every patient deserves care.
Cancer isn’t just a battle against disease. It’s a battle against inequality, distance, and the silent suffering that happens when people are left behind.
We tell this story not just for him, but for every person like him - in every rural village, in every forgotten home where healthcare feels like a privilege instead of a right.
This is why we share.
Because when we raise our voices, we don’t just bring awareness - we demand change. We remind the world that cancer is not just about statistics and treatment plans. It is about people.
People who deserve to be seen. People who deserve comfort. People who deserve dignity.
Because no one - NO ONE - should fight cancer alone.
And when we come together, not just in cities with the best hospitals but in the forgotten corners of the world, where people suffer in silence because they have no choice - we do more than stand in solidarity.
We break the silence. We fight for those who would otherwise be left behind.
Because every story matters. Because every struggle is unique. And because only when we fight for the most invisible among us do we truly stand united.
World Cancer Day 2025 | United by Unique