PINK....From
left: Janny Yapp, Winnie Tham, Dollie Chung, Sandy Chong and Chai Siew Fong of
the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon.
By : TRYPHENA CHIN
FAR from being the weaker
sex, women are strong and resilient. And there is no better proof than the 200
breast cancer survivors of the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon, a two-year-old
non-government organization that is leading a crusade against the deadly
scourge. Their fighting spirit has won over Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Dr Yee
Moh Chai. “You have fought cancer and won,” he told them.
Dr Yee marvelled at their
steely determination in their fight against a debilitating disease. At last
Sunday’s charity dinner of the Kinabalu Breast Cancer Support Association, the
official name of Kinabalu Pink Ribbon, he said he knew the pain and suffering
of cancer patients.
He was a medical doctor
before he became a lawyer and politician. He is the lawmaker of Api-Api and the
minister of resource development and information technology.
Founded by Lucilla Pang, a
53-year-old financial consultant, Pink Ribbon is actively making people aware
of breast cancer. With 50 volunteers who include doctors and nurses, it has
been busy giving talks, conducting workshop, recreational and sporting events
to spread the message that early detection spells cure even if the cancer
cannot be prevented.
And it has been bringing the
message to the villages where breast cancer awareness is still low.
Dr Yee praised Pink Ribbon
for this. “You are doing a great job,” he said. “Please keep up with your good
work in sharing your experience and giving emotional and psychological support
to breast cancer patients and their families.”
Pink Ribbon’s immediate task
is to raise 60,000 ringgit ($19,000) to buy a van that will allow its members
and volunteers to reach out to women in villages.
About 700 people attended
the charity dinner at the Putera Theatre Ballroom in Kota Kinabalu which raised
about 50,000 ringgit, according to the organisers. (Insight Sabah)
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