By Jacintha Jolene
KUCHING: An elderly man suffering from oral cancer finally saw the light of day when he received aid from a local NGO, Hope Place.
Sim Soon Ang, 57, has been battling cancer for some time and lives alone in a Buddhist temple.
He used to live with his wife, working in the construction line and living on daily wages. However, his world fell apart when his wife divorced him a year ago and he lost his job. Two months ago, he was diagnosed with cancer.
Hope Place went to visit Sim’s temporary lodging and was saddened to see Sim’s living conditions.
“His living space is a cluttered storage room with plastic chairs piled up on one side.
“Worse still, we are shocked to see Sim’s ‘bed’ is actually a horizontal old fridge with a floor mat as his mattress”, said a Hope Place representative.
Sim is unable to eat solid food anymore and had to depend on tube feeding.
“I will use a syringe to inject milk into my tube and will insert the tube into my nose.
“I will have to consume a special milk six times daily but I eat diluted rice porridge and crushed biscuits to fill my stomach”, Sim said.
Currently, Hope Place is helping Sim with supplies of special milk powder.
The NGO also took the opportunity to extend its gratitude to donors who generously contribute special milk powder to marginalised individuals like Sim.
For more information, Hope Place or Persatuan Kebajikan Harapan Kuching (PKHK) can be reached at 082-505987.
Opening hours are from 8am-5pm from Mondays till Fridays and 8am-12 noon on Saturdays.
Donations are welcome and receipts will be given upon request, the NGO said.
The public can donate directly to Hope Place’s bank account (MBB-511289001160) or go to its Facebook page for the S PAY GLOBAL QR code.
