KOTA KINABALU: Several people volunteered to have their heads shaved bald to raise awareness on childhood cancer in Malaysia through the "Go Bald Sabah 2018" event.
The inaugural event was jointly organised by the Kota Kinabalu chapter of Junior Chamber International (JCI) and Sabah Cancer Society to raise funds to help children with cancer, as well as their families.
Every shaven head represents an understanding by an individual of the ordeals that a child with cancer is subjected to.
Among those who volunteered to go bald was JCI Kota Kinabalu president Daphne Lo, 30, who said the project also aimed to break the stigma surrounding cancer.
Lo, who is a pharmacist at the Sabah Women and Children Hospital, said people in general only recognise cancer as a "life-altering" disease but do not understand the journey endured by a cancer patient.
"I visited a few wards at the hospital and noticed that patients tend to shy away after having their heads shaved.
"The reason I volunteered for this is because I wanted to show (cancer) patients that it is okay to go bald," she related at an event here Sunday (Sept 9).
Lo said while it was easy to find sponsors for the project, it was much more challenging to recruit participants.
She hoped that by shaving her head bald and leading by example, more people would be inspired to participate in the project in the years to come.
Organising chairman Regina Ngu said the "Go Bald Sabah" movement has also encouraged people to translate their sense of love and care for one another into action.
Sabah Health and People's Well-being Minister Stephen Wong said all parties must work collaboratively to make changes that will end suffering and death from childhood cancer.
"While this is a lofty goal, I believe we have the knowledge and technological capacity to do so," he added.
For more information, please visit JCI Kota Kinabalu's Facebook page.Already a subscriber? Log in
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