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Competitors’ corner
DUTCH DES SABLES
Childcancer.org
Time & Tide Challenge 630
FARM Africa
St Helena Hospice
Mercy Ships
Noma
Facing Africa
Oxfam
Children's Cancer Foundation (Germany)
Fred Hollows Foundation
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| Ngae Koh Hieng (MLY-D 138) and Dr.
Tan Tah Ming (MLY - D 103) |
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Ngae Koh Hieng (MLY-D 138) aged 53
years is a lawyer based in Kuala Lumpur. Born 8/1/1954
in Sarawak and grew up in the land of the hornbill, he
came to Kuala Lumpur in 1972 to study at University of
Malaya. He has worked here since.
He is an outdoor person since young and has been involved
in all sorts of outdoor activities on land and in water.
He is an avid marathon runner (completed 10 regular marathons
and one 60km charity run, one 100 km charity run and one
KL/Maran run covering 204 km) and also a triathlete. His
specialty: running all road races including Marathons barefoot.
Nevertheless he always feels that he is just an ordinary
person doing ordinary things all ordinary people are capable
of doing. He aspires to use his physical and mental readiness
to raise funds for charities, instead of just entering
races as a physical challenge.
Dr. Tan Tah Ming (MLY - D 103) aged 51 years is a medical
doctor with a clinic in Selayang. He is a regular Triathlete
and Ironman having completed six ironman events in Langkawi
and the Hawaii Ironman event in 2005. Having participated
in many and various races since the eighties, Dr. Tan felt
that the pain and effort suffered during any endurance
race is justified especially if one can raise funds for
charities. He had participated in a 60km charity run in
2003 and a 100km run from Subang Jaya to Port Dickson in
2006.
Dr. Tan was born in Port Dickson and his backlane neighbour
happened to be the well known adventurer Khoo Swee Chiow
who had conquered Mt Everest and the seven highest peaks
in the world and crossed the North and South Poles. Dr.
Tan felt inspired to participate in the MDS.
The Malaysian Participant's Mission: to Raise Fund for
Hospis Malaysia
Due the toughness of this event, the organizer encourages
participants to do it for charity. The two Malaysians who
are participating in MDS 2007 are encouraged to identify
charity organization(s) deserving aid. We have identified
Hospis Malaysia as the charity which we wish to raise fund
for as our mission in participating in Marathon des Sables
in the Sahara.
Hospis Malaysia is a charitable organization established
in August 1991 aimed at addressing the immense need to
develop and provide professional Palliative Care services
to terminally ill patients who live within its area of
service in the Klang Valley in Malaysia. It is not affiliated
to any political, religious organization or health institutions.
Its services are provided free and extended to all - irrespective
of race, religion or status (social standing).
To provide a greater understanding of the role of Hospis
Malaysia, we reproduce below the statement by Dr Ednin
Hamzah,CEO/Medical Director, Hospis Malaysia. (www.hospismalaysia.org.)
"
Normally, hospitals, doctors and nurses have the responsibility
to help people recover from their illnesses or injuries.
But what happens to those whose illness is no longer curable?
Surely, this is a time of great stress for them and their
families. The hospitals would generally want to discharge
these patients as they (the hospital) feel that there is
little that can be done and the beds would be needed for
others. Busy doctors and nurses are often pressured to
concentrate on patients whom they can help to get well.
Frequently, these patients, whose progressive and deteriorating
condition may require special attention and care, are left
to suffer much pain, discomfort and the humiliation of
incapacity. The family, who more often than not are under
stress themselves, are quite unable to cope.
But in recent years, there has been an increase in the
recognition that people with diseases that are progressive
and no longer respond to curative treatment should not
be regarded as dying. This unfortunate group should not
be ignored and treated as people for whom little can be
done. We are all living persons up to the moment of our
last breath.
Hospice / Palliative Care aims to facilitate quality living
right up to that very last breath. Palliative Care is concerned
with enabling the patient to live out his remaining days
free from pain, despair and others forms of distress with
dignity. A great deal of knowledge and experience in this
specialised field has been introduced and developed. For
instance, today the pain of an incurable disease can be
completely eliminated in most cases or greatly reduced
in others. With the aid and services provided by Hospice
care, the final stage of a dying person's life can be enhanced,
comfortable and dignified.
Through Hospice / Palliative Care, a patient's family can
be taught and trained on how to attend to the patient in
the most effective manner, relieving both the patient and
his / her family of much stress and anxiety. In many cases,
good Hospice care provided have brought both the patient
and family closer to each other, perhaps much closer than
ever before. When this occurs, it is perhaps the most important
and deeply felt time of our lives.
In Malaysia, Hospice Care is now available in most of the
major towns. This is the reason for the foundation of HOSPIS
MALAYSIA in August 1991. It is a charitable organisation
formed by a group of dedicated individuals from various
professional backgrounds, who identified the pressing need
for professional Palliative Care services to be offered
to the society.
Hospis Malaysia views Palliative Care as a responsibility
and has the objective to create greater awareness on Palliative
Care, its services and its benefits. The organisation also
provides training for doctors, nurses and other medical
professionals in symptom control such as pain management
and assessing the psychological needs of patients.
As a Hospice / Palliative Care provider, Hospis Malaysia
endeavours to provide professional Palliative Care to enhance
the quality of life of those who live within our area of
service in the Klang Valley.
[HOSPIS
MALAYSIA] |
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