By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 5: Six-year-old Christian Deo Dennis should be like any other child his age—filling his days with laughter and play.
But Deo is not like most children his age—ever since he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a rare type of nerve cell cancer. Instead of playing with his friends, his days are marked by hospital rooms, needles, and long days of treatment, as well as learning words such as chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy—words that no child should have to know.
According to Dr Ong Eng-Joe, a paediatric oncologist and Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society (SCCS) medical advisor, for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma like Deo, even after months of treatment involving chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery to remove as many cancer cells as possible from the body, immunotherapy is needed to destroy the remaining cancer cells.
“Without immunotherapy, children with high-risk neuroblastoma face a much lower chance of survival,” said Dr Ong in a media release issued by the SCCS.
The society also revealed that Deo was among three children supported in 2025 to undergo immunotherapy, with his treatment marking the most expensive case the organisation has ever funded, amounting to RM590,000 for immunotherapy alone.
Since his diagnosis, Deo has endured eight rounds of chemotherapy with additional sessions, two surgeries, a stem cell transplant, fourteen sessions of radiotherapy, and five cycles of immunotherapy, with one cycle completed so far.
Beyond treatment, SCCS is also helping Deo’s family survive the daily reality of cancer. Besides the halfway home in Kuching, which also provides food and transport at no cost, where Deo and his mother stay when they are not in treatment, the society covered flights and taxi fares for treatment in Kuala Lumpur, totalling RM2,543, and provided a weekly hospital allowance of RM100 to support basic living needs during long hospital stays.
“SCCS is like a ray of light in the morning and moonlight at night,” said Deo’s mother.
“They gave us hope when everything felt uncertain. SCCS covered all of Deo’s additional treatment and medical costs, helped us with accommodation, food supplies, and even flight tickets and taxi arrangements when we had to travel to Kuala Lumpur. Because of them, I could focus fully on my child’s treatment instead of worrying about money.”
She also shared a message for other parents who are in a similar situation as her, telling them that patience and positivity are key as their children’s behaviour changes throughout treatment.
“Be attentive and keep learning about your child’s illness. When you feel tired, sad, or hopeless, find something to fill that time, whether it is praying, listening to music, or watching a drama,” she said.
According to the SCCS committee president, Mary Kiu Ai Ling, Deo’s story is not unique.
“Deo’s journey is one of many. In 2025 alone, SCCS spent approximately RM2 million on medical aid for more than 100 children, our highest spend ever recorded since we were registered in 2001.
“Treatments today are more advanced, more targeted, and more effective — but they are also significantly more expensive. Immunotherapy, in particular, can mean the difference between relapse and survival. Our role is to ensure that no family ever has to choose between finances and their child’s life,” said Kiu.
Kiu added that SCCS stands with families from diagnosis to recovery.
“We cover additional treatment and medical costs beyond the government hospital’s primary care, provide accommodation with transport and food supplies, and assist families who must seek treatment outside Sarawak by arranging flights, transport, and weekly allowances for eligible families. All that we are able to do is only possible through the continued generosity and trust of our donors and partners.”
Along the way, small moments kept the family going—a smile after weeks of silence, a positive response to treatment, the quiet strength of grandparents caring for siblings back home, and the support of SCCS staff and fellow parents at Ward 2A and the SCCS Centre.
SCCS relies on public support to continue funding life-saving treatments, such as immunotherapy. Every donation, no matter the size, helps give children with cancer a chance to survive.
Members of the public who wish to support children like Deo can contribute to the Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society or call 082-686276. — DayakDaily
