Siew Kit Kim

“What comes after finishing cancer treatment?”

“It’s time to get my life back on track.”

That’s what I told myself. But I soon found that transitioning back into normal life was not easy.

In my early twenties, I was diagnosed with lymphoma. At that moment in time, I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree in biomedical science at University Tunku Abdul Rahman, Perak (UTAR). I had no choice but to defer my studies. After I completed my treatment, I questioned myself what should be my next step. I knew that I need to finish my degree, but I was unsure of how to do it. My parents did not encourage me to continue in UTAR due to the long distance and the hassle of traveling back and forth for frequent medical follow-ups. I could not apply for another PTPTN loan unless I clear off the previous loan. Growing up in a family with a sole breadwinner, my family was hit hard by the financial burden of medical costs. With all the issues, I was planning to give up pursuing my tertiary education and thinking of getting a job to pay my loan.

I still remember it was a day when I was searching for jobs online, I came across a post that mentioned the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Scholarship and Biomedicine was one of the participating programmes. Till today, I feel so grateful for getting the scholarship offer. It really gave me a second chance of living my life after cancer and it has been a life-changing experience that I would never dream of. Cancer changed my perspective on life. I became acutely aware life is lived in moments as it is a journey, not a destination. I was given the best chance to complete my studies, meet wonderful people, enjoy the top-notch facilities and at the same time, recover physically from the after-treatment side effects and healing emotionally in the #MostHappeningCampus. Reminiscing about the days in Sunway, I always look forward to going to campus every day even when I did not have any class or event to attend because that’s how comforting the whole environment is. Everything is available at your fingertips, be it the library, gymnasium, swimming pool, shopping mall, hospital, or even a theme park! You name it, Sunway City has it all. Though I had a few of my semesters during the COVID pandemic, the university has given tremendous support and the well-being of students was being taken care of. Different societies like the Sunway Student Ambassador (SSA) have organized a variety of activities to engage with students and it definitely makes my life during the pandemic much more meaningful.

For anyone of you who is reading #MySunwayStory, let me tell you that cancer is an ugly disease, but the beauty of life after cancer is definitely worth fighting for. I am truly blessed to be able to become a Sunwayian because Sunway University is truly ‘A Class Above.’

Siew Kit Kim
BSc (Hons) Biomedicine
Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Scholarship