Even when all seems so difficult, comfort and strength can still be found.
Leong Keng Peng, 53, was diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in October 2008.
His disease progressed despite undergoing more than 60 sessions of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Surgery to the back of his throat and nose did not stop the tumour from spreading. Stoically, he underwent several more sessions of treatment and a neck surgery. He also became dependent on a feeding tube and endured a stormy stay in intensive care. Losing all hope and unwilling to be a burden to his 80-year-old mother, Keng Peng decided to spend his final days at Dover Park Hospice (DPH).
Undeterred by his condition, the clinical team and volunteers at DPH worked fervently with Keng Peng. From being bed-bound, he learnt to wheel himself around in a motorised wheelchair. From being fed, he learnt to feed himself through the feeding tube. From feeling all alone, he found new friends in the hospice. As he says, “I am alive again!”
His passion for photography was revived when he joined the weekly outing group, capturing beautiful pictures of volunteers and fellow patients. He also discovered a new hobby in painting. With encouragement from our Art Therapy intern, he expressed his emotions through his drawings and felt a great sense of achievement and satisfaction with each completed art piece. Keng Peng shared, “I have never felt so at ease before. In the past, I just wanted to die. Now I am experiencing life again.”
At DPH, every individual is unique and has different needs. With our multi-disciplinary team effort, we strive to provide patients and families an uplifting experience — one full of precious memories, despite the challenges illness brings.
