KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Mohamad Izham, 30, says he spent almost RM200,000 on treatment when he was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hodgkin lymphoma cancer in 2014.
But after remission for about two and a half years, the cancer came back.
The young man said that his treatment this time, including targeted therapy and an allogeneic stem cell transplant, will cost him about RM350,000.
“Being a fighter for this thing long time ago, didn’t break my spirit to fight it again now. The issue for me, is only the money. I am ready to win this battle like how I used to win before,” Mohamad Izham said on crowdfunding site Simply Giving.
He has raised almost RM18,000 so far on the site out of a target of RM350,000.
Mohamad Izham tweeted last Sunday that when he first got cancer, chemotherapy at Universiti Malaya Specialist Centre (UMSC) cost him RM70,000 for 12 sessions at RM5,000 per session.
“Having insurance is fine. But when you don’t, that’s the problem. Bear in mind I paid RM70,000 for chemo, excluding medicine, ward, and blood tests. The costs increase over time because you have to expect things like when you suddenly get fever, then you get warded. That’s life with cancer,” he wrote.
“Even though you have insurance that can cover you, doesn’t mean you don’t have to use your own more money because you know lah, hanky panky certain insurance won’t pay all. Even if coverage is high, don’t put all out on expensive hospitals, but try to get good hospitals with good doctors and facilities.”
He said having a support system greatly helped him in his fight against cancer.
“After 12 sessions, your body is weak, missing eyebrows, bruises here and there, but for me it’s okay. For a life, I’ll do anything for it. Your life is not other people’s. Kneel and be grateful.
“It’s not just a tough life because you have cancer, life after chemo was tough too. You’ll be confused about what your body wants. You don’t know whether your body is sick because of chemo or it’s something growing inside you,” he said.
