“Finally, now I can have a New Hairstyle.” - Reviews IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) Yokohama Japan KoreaA Story by LeahOrtizReviews IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) Yokohama Japan KoreaI
just came home from a wake, my sister-in-law, just lost her battle against
cancer. Last 2 years she was diagnosed
of breast cancer stage 3. Her whole
family was informed about it, but she assured us, with the loving grace of our
God and with the medical advancement nowadays, everything will be alright. We wholeheartedly offered our support in this
endeavor. So we were confident that
everything is okay. She
was an elementary public school teacher, with four children, the youngest, her
Princess, since she is the only girl among the four, is just four years old. Her salary was not enough to sustain the
daily expenses of her family, much more for her treatment. Her
husband was a carpenter, but with no permanent job, he was forced to go to
Singapore to help in the expenses of her treatment. Battling cancer is very expensive; they were
financially drained during the time of the treatment. The family, her parents, her brothers took
turn in providing not only financial but also moral support. Through this trying time, we all have
undergone a difficulty; still I saw and felt their love and concern for their
sister. News
soon spread, about her condition, and many of her relatives offered and gave
their help. Unexpectedly, I met an
advocate of the group called IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) from Yokohama, I was able
to share to her my sister-in-laws’ condition,
wholeheartedly, she provided her with supplements to battle the cells of
cancer. This member of IAM Group Limited
(Ltd.) has been helping others by providing charity links that help giving jobs
for extra income, providing other people temporary shelters and monetary
assistance in times of difficulties. Genuine
is the goodness of her heart, she doesn’t personally know and haven’t met my
sister-in-law. She constantly called us,
to follow up how my sister-in-law was doing.
As
the treatment advanced, she had to undergo surgery, removal of her breast, and
then another surgery to remove the other one because the cancer spread. Having undergone all these surgery, without
her husband by her side, was very emotionally stressful, but her family did
their very best to comfort her. After the
surgery, we thought that everything will be alright .But her oncologist
suggested for her to have chemotherapy sessions, aware of the effects of
chemotherapy, she still kept a straight face and a sweet smile, like she was
giving us hope that she can survive this one.
During
her sessions of chemotherapy, I remember her reaction the first time her hair started to fall from her head, the
moment her hand stroke her long, black, shiny
hair, to arrange it, few strands were left on her fingertips. I admired her hair so much, because it was
one of her assets. She really takes time
taking care of it, and she does a really good job. The instant we noticed that strands of hair
were clinging on her fingertips, everybody stopped on whatever they were doing,
there was a few seconds of silence
because everybody was not prepared about what happened, because her oncologist
told us, hair fall would occur after a few sessions of chemotherapy, not after
the first two sessions. Nobody spoke a
word, because I myself didn’t know what to say, for me the silence was I
thought forever. Our facial expressions
were all blank, but I felt a mixture of feelings, honestly, the moment I saw
the hair fall, I felt my hope drifted away, I pitied my sister-in-law, that I
had tears ready to fall, but I tried to control it, but it was very painful. Unexpectedly, she, my sister-in-law, broke
the silence, she said from a tone where you can trace a fighting spirit to
cheer herself and her family, “Finally, now I can have a new hairstyle”, after
this event, she had her hair cut short, which also look good on her. Soon, after many more sessions of
chemotherapy, all her hair was gone. We
went for shopping, for stylish head caps and turbans of different happy colors. She wore these different head gears, proudly,
when she goes to school, to church and when she is strong enough to take her
children to the park. She
asked me, where her supplements came from, I told her, from one of the Charity
links member provided by IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) Yokohama, Japan. She wanted to meet her and thank her
personally. I said this person is a traveler;
we will make a schedule so that you can meet her. They were able to talk on the
phone, and agreed that she will come to visit my sister-in-law. Inspired
of the pouring goodness and help from many people, my sister-in-law kept
fighting. It was her children and faith
in God that made her strong. Being a
mother, all she could think of is how her children will go on, without her. Who will attend to their needs? Especially, her youngest. Her, Princess, who
was too young to understand her situation, who kept on asking why her mother
was always sleeping and why her mother was vomiting. All she could comprehend is that her mother has
stomach pain, causing her to vomit and thus, has to rest. But
her body wasn’t that strong as compared to her will to live. She became weaker and weaker, she lost her
appetite for food, so she didn’t have the strength to move her body because of
this, and she had to have an IV infusion, to keep her strong. But because of her immobility, her muscles
became weaker and small. We constantly
reminded her that she can win this, and she should win this battle, but only
tears came as answers. She was a very
kind cancer patient, knowing that she was in pain most of the time, she never
complained of anything. Only lately,
when we found out that she had lumps all over her body. Cancer
spread too fast all around her body, she did not inform us about her situation. That is why, when we took her to the
hospital, it was her doctor that informed us about her situation. At her current situation, the doctor did not
administer any procedure, she informed us that anytime soon, within 24 hours, and
she will go into comatose and pass away.
We did not inform her of what the doctor said. We contacted her husband in Singapore and
informed him about his wife’s situation and he decided to come home. We gathered all her immediate family, and
spent the whole day in the hospital, it was like a reunion but a sad one. The oncologist wanted her to be discharged
that same day, but my sister-in-law
still wanted to stay in the hospital, although the family is financially
drained, we still gave her wish. She did
not go into comatose, like what the doctor said. After
three days, we took her home, in an ambulance.
Her Princess was happy and excited riding the ambulance because she was
entertained by the emergency lights , the bright red and blue lights that kept
on spinning, and the sound of the ambulance that gave signal to clear the
traffic. Along the ride home, we were
not aware that my sister-in-law conversed with her Princess, while she was
holding her mother’s hand, suddenly; we just observed that there was a spark of
happiness mixed with excitement. We did
not had the chance to know the reason why, because we where to occupied making
calls to prepare our arrival. A
few days later, her husband came home, a shocking event happened, day by day
she grew stronger. Her weak and fragile
voice became stronger, and now you can understand every word she says. Another spark of hope was again lighted,
everybody thought that maybe, she really needed her husband to be by her side. She became talkative, and had many stories to
share, but we can observe that in between the lines of our conversation, you
can sense that she is already having requests, for her children, especially the
youngest. But
soon little by little, her strength weakens.
She lasted only for three weeks; she passed peacefully in her bed. Within those days, she was able to put to
order every detail for the future of her children. She was able to talk to her children, again,
reminding them the values of life, and that they should be strong whatever
happens. With her fragile body, in spite
of intense pain, she was able to give them her warmest hug and kiss for the
last time. We saw and felt her pain, she
went into comatose. We had to provide
her oxygen because she was having difficulty breathing, during that time, my
mother-in-law, her mother, who was the most busy providing her needs, sat
beside her and whispered to her ears, in a dignified tone of voice, avoiding to
cry, “You can rest now my dear, do not worry anymore, we will take care of your
children”, and she gave her a kiss at the forehead. For
so many years, I thought that it only happens in the movies where someone tells
a dying person that everything will be alright and that she can move on, and
with that assurance that dying person will pass away. I didn’t believe it will happen, but I
experienced it, after those assuring words from my mother-in-law, she gave her
last breath, and died. During
the first night of the wake, Princess, her youngest daughter, looked for her,
when she saw her mother inside the coffin, she asked her grandmother, why her
mother was inside that box. She was
informed that she was dead, she still
didn’t comprehend it, but what she said
made us all cry, with her innocence she said,” Will she never come back?, how
about her promise to me that when she gets well, she will take me to the park
and buy me ice cream?”. No one was able
to answer her, but later she was able to
understand, that her mother will never return, and we promised her, one of this
days we will all go to the park and eat ice cream. Loosing
someone is the greatest tragedy one can ever have. But if I feel this kind of pain, how much
more the family she has left behind. Her
husband who will no more experience the warmth of her hugs and kisses, the
taste of her savory dishes and her four children, who will no longer hear her
voice of guidance and the soft lullaby at night. My
friend from IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) Yokohama, Japan, didn’t have the chance to
meet my sister-in-law. She even offered
to give financial support to her children.
I was amazed of her goodness and curious at the same time, so I visited
the website called http://i-am-groupltd.com. There I was able to understand, why she was
that kind to others, the IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) has lists of charitable
institution that helps the needy. They
have many groups all over Asia, in the Southeast, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia,
Bangkok, Yokohama, Japan, Thailand and a lot more. We are thankful to this kind of groups, where
they are willingly helping others who are in need. The goodness you’ve shared to us will never
be forgotten. Thanks to you, ma’am and
to IAM Group Limited (Ltd.). © 2014 LeahOrtiz |
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Added on October 21, 2014 Last Updated on October 21, 2014 Tags: Reviews IAM Group Limited (Ltd.) |