• Message to cancer patients and their caregivers
  
  
• Message to reporters, journalists and producers
  
  
• Message to cancer-related products vendors
  
  
• Message to webmasters and website owners
  

Message to cancer patients and their caregivers

Very often, web surfers are not aware that CancerStory.com is a volunteer's initiative.

Owing to my work commitments, I will only respond to email messages from cancer patients and their caregivers. I can be contacted at lsh@cancerstory.com.

On 14 August 2006, I received the following sms from the son of a cancer victim :

       'Thanks, Soh Hong, for all the aid you have provided me and others like myself. It is a pity that you cannot do this full-time. I am sure we will cross paths again in the future.'

A sudden feeling of guilt came to me. Finally, I reassured myself that I cannot do it full-time anymore as my financial resources are depleting fast. I recalled the kind advice given by my neighbourhood karung guni man.

He saw me on a TV programme and came to know about my voluntary work.

       His words of wisdom : "It is very kind of you to help the less fortunate. However, in our materialistic society, you have to have money to take care of your own livelihood. Hence it is unwise for you to deplete your savings. Who is going to help you when you are penniless?"

I kept silent for a while and he thought that I was offended by his remarks. I thanked him for his concern and kind advice.

Each year, I receive at least 3 requests for cancer survivors' stories from the print and TV media. In most instances, I have never let them down. Sadly, my media friendliness is never reciprocated by many reporters and journalists - I call it a 'one-way' traffic.

While CancerStory.com remains a good source of worthy stories to the media, it also needs the mutual support of reporters and journalists to create awareness of CancerStory.com. Unfortunately, they are not helpful to me. One reporter with LianHe ZaoBao commented that she is not keen to write about CancerStory.com as it was already featured before. In reality, if only CancerStory.com could afford to engage the service of a PR company, the latter faces no problem in getting reporters to feature their clients as many times as they wish in various media modes. Money is still the motivational factor in our materialistic society - Money is Power!

In a recent cancer talk, I learned that Care Cancer Society (now known as 365 Cancer Prevention Society) will be launching a contest for 'cancer warriors' in 2007. Briefly, it will invite cancer survivors to share their stories over radio broadcast. The public will vote for the top 3 cancer warriors by telephone calls. They are proud to showcase their creativity in becoming the first organizer to run such a contest for the sick, unlike Singapore Idol and Superstar shows. The Guest of Honour, a minister will give away cash prizes to 10 cancer patients.

If such contest is well-received by the sick and the public, Care Cancer Society will be the first in Singapore to compile a database for cancer survivors' stories. If this happens, I would encourage reporters, journalists and producers to turn their attention to Care Cancer Society. Please log into their website at www.carecancer.org

On this final note, I regret that I am unable to extend my help to the media anymore. Let fairness prevails over selfishness of reporters and journalists.

Finale : I responded to the latest email request on 9 May 2007 from a ST reporter. I offered her a story of a multiple sclerosis patient.

Some have shown genuine concern for the well-being of cancer patients. If you are one of these compassionate souls, we thank you for sharing your products with us.

While your products may be beneficial to some cancer patients, we reckon it is best to follow the golden rule : 'Let the patients decide what is best for them.'

Undoubtedly, it has become a norm for non-profit setups to adopt business models to generate revenue to sustain their social causes. For one year, we tried out the social enterprise concept but gave up on 1 May 2007 after some unpleasant experience.

Therefore, if you are seeking endorsement for your products, we regret that we are unable to do so.

Corporate social responsibility is encouraged by the Government. Hence if your Company is keen to adopt it, we will be keen to receive your kind sponsorship. Please contact us at admin@cancerstory.com.

We value our image as a credible non-profit cancer portal.

Very often, we receive requests for the linkage of websites and advertisement spaces. As a non-profit website, we will only entertain such requests from credible non-profit organizations sharing the same cause.