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SINGAPORE – In 2008, when he was an eight-month-old baby, Raphael Lee was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma in his left forearm.
He underwent treatment for this rare form of soft tissue cancer for a year and the disease went into remission.
But in 2016, when Raphael was a Primary 2 student, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma or bone cancer.
It started again in his left arm and eventually spread to his right clavicle and both lungs.
On November 13, the 12-year-old boy died of complications from the surgery.
Her parents, Mr. William Lee, 47, and Ms. Winnie Lee, 45, collected the results of the Alexandra Elementary School Elementary School Completion Exam (PSLE) on their behalf on Wednesday (25 of November).
Rafael was her only son.
Lee, who works as a course director at St John Singapore, said: “We expected his lifespan to be shortened, but we didn’t know death would come so soon.”
“We told him that our focus was not on his studies, but on his health. We would tell him ‘Do your best, no stress,’ but he wanted to prove himself.
“As much as possible, he tried to complete his task.”
The Catholic couple said that St. Bernadette’s Church, which they attend, as well as Raphael’s school, have been very supportive during this challenging period.
Rafael’s teachers often visited him in the hospital and at home, and brought him school work.
They also frequently sent video clips of class activities to update him on what he had missed and sent greetings from his classmates to cheer him on.
When Raphael was diagnosed with bone cancer in his left arm in 2016, he underwent cryotherapy, which involved the use of liquid nitrogen to destroy cancer cells.
But the following year, doctors found another swelling near his left wrist and said amputation was inevitable.
Said Mr. Lee: “Raphael was devastated when he heard that he had to lose his arm.
“But we told him the hope was that we would sacrifice the arm in exchange for his good health in the future.”
The boy took it easy, he said, managing to smile and encourage family and friends who visited him after his operation.
Last year, another tumor was discovered on her right clavicle.
“It took the entire medical team by surprise because everyone thought the amputation would end the whole episode,” Lee said.
In March of this year, an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed that the cancer had spread to her lungs. It had operations in April and May.
Ms. Lee, who left her job as a child care teacher last year to care for Raphael, said: “We tried to convince him to postpone his PSLE until next year, so his body has time to recover.
“But I wanted to do it this year because I didn’t want to have to do it in a new environment and in a new class.”
Raphael was on targeted therapy, or oral medication, when he was taking his roles.
While the drug did not compromise her immunity, it did have serious side effects, such as diarrhea.
I went to the bathroom six to seven times a day, up to an hour at a time. When he got out of the bathroom, he would be all sweaty, said Ms. Lee.
“But as tired and sick as he was, he wanted to go back to school because he enjoyed it and he loved spending time with his friends,” he added.
In August, Mr. Lee himself was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer in the large intestine.
“Raphael was a sensible and thoughtful boy. He was concerned that he did not know how to deal with treatment.
“He said to his mom, ‘Why does dad have to have cancer? Why not let me have it instead, since I have more experience and have been through chemotherapy before?’
“I was very moved by this. I told him not to be a fool. I said, ‘It’s so easy to tell you to be brave and strong, now is the time to lead by example and show you that I can do it too.'”
her younger brother and father, who was diagnosed with cancer when Irdina was
in Primary 1. ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Another Primary 6 student, Irdina Qasrina Isham, received her results after her father died of cancer in April this year.
She had looked after him while he was preparing for the national exam.
Irdina was in charge of helping him shower, eat, change clothes and take a little walk every day, since he was in 2nd grade at Sengkang Green Primary School.
His will to live taught him an important lesson.
“My dad taught me to have a positive mindset – when he was sick, he never stopped looking for treatment options.
“So when he died, I tried to stay positive,” the 12-year-old said.
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