KLANG: When her daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia in 2021, little did Lavaniyah Ganapathy know that it would change her life in more than one way.
Initially devastated, Lavaniyah, 40, quickly set about seeking the best treatment option for her then six-year-old daughter Mahiyaa Bala Jeganath.
“We were told that Mahiyaa needed Car T-Cell therapy, which was only available in Singapore.
“Luckily, my daughter had medical insurance coverage which paid for the RM2.2mil incurred for the treatment,’’ said Lavaniyah, who also has two sons aged eight and six.
The turning point in Lavaniyah’s life came six months after her daughter’s diagnosis at a children’s oncology day-care centre her daughter went to.
“I caught sight of a family that appeared to be panicky and deeply troubled.
“I asked my husband to find out what was wrong and he came back and told me that the family desperately needed RM750,000 for their child’s cancer treatment.
“As a mother, I understood the pain the child’s mother must have been feeling and I immediately set about seeking financial help for them,’’ said Lavaniyah.
With the help of a non-governmental organisation, she managed to raise the amount in just four days and the initiative left her wanting to do more.
She then registered the Children Cancer Association Malaysia (CCAM) in 2022 which has to date raised funds for more than 50 children, including paying treatment costs, ranging from RM100,000 to RM1.2mil, for 12 of them.
Lavaniyah explained that CCAM would pay the cost of the treatments incurred by the children directly to the respective hospitals.
“I am doing this because I want to lessen the pain suffered by other parents when their children are diagnosed with cancer.
“Although I had the funds for my daughter’s treatment, I was still devastated and frightened of losing her.
“Imagine the trauma experienced by parents who could not afford to pay for the much-needed treatment,’’ said Lavaniyah.
Mahiyaa, now 10, is in remission, attending school and has put her ordeal behind her.
Lavaniyah, who also helps to run her family-owned shipping business, said she intends to help more children as CCAM has now been given tax exemption status.
She hopes to rope in corporate sponsors to join her to ease the challenges suffered by families that could not afford cancer treatment for their children.
“In my advocacy work, I also push parents to get medical insurance for their children as well as to consult a doctor as soon as possible when their children fall sick as early detection is very crucial,’’ she added.
Those in need of financial aid for children with cancer can reach out to CCAM at 016-331 2427 or e-mail them at info@ccaminternational.com.
