At just 11 years of age, Javier Lim has been through five major operations to remove a benign but recurring tumour from his brain.
Mrs Sharon Lim, Javier’s mother, said the operations cost around $20,000 to $30,000 each. Some 85% of all related medical costs are covered by Javier’s insurance.
Last September, without his parents’ knowledge, Javier started a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Society (Singapore) on crowdfunding website SimplyGiving, raising over $200. It may be a small sum to some, but to Javier, “it was better than nothing”.
It was only after the president of the Brain Tumour Society (Singapore) Melissa Lim called to thank them that his parents became aware of what he had done.
His selflessness and infectious, positive outlook on life won Javier one of 23 Singapore Health Inspirational Patient Awards given out by SingHealth this year.
Despite his condition, Javier went for his 10th Hair for Hope event on 29 July 2018 to shave his head and show support for cancer patients.
He told The Straits Times last month (July 2018): “When I returned to school (after one of the previous Hair for Hope events), some of my friends said to me, ‘Why did you shave your head? Now you are much uglier than you were before.’
“But I would really love to spread awareness about how cancer can affect families financially and psychologically. I’d like to share what the families are going through, especially families with kids suffering from cancer. They might be going through a lot more than us (Javier’s family), and than people who don’t have any conditions at all.”
Javier’s tumour was discovered in May 2013, a few months after his very first Hair for Hope event with his parents. He was only five years old and the minimum age limit for Hair for Hope participants is seven.
But he wanted to do it with his parents, and persuaded the organisers to let him join in that year.
Said Mrs Lim: “The tumour came as a shock to us, especially as there were no visible symptoms. It was devastating.
“My husband and I shaved our heads for Hair for Hope that year, because we wanted to show support for people with cancer… Months later, we discovered our son had a brain tumour.”
It is not known if Javier will ever make a full recovery.
Javier told ST: “I just want to live life to the fullest and have fun.”
His idea of fun is going “bus-spotting” at the bus stop near his Housing Board block in Bedok, where he takes pictures of public buses that come by.
And he takes his fun seriously – he even bought a tripod stand for his mobile phone to help him take the pictures with a steady hand, earning him the moniker of “Little LTA (Land Transport Authority) Officer” by his mother.
When asked if he has any advice to help other kids with similar conditions deal with lousy days, Javier said with a wide grin: “Actually, I don’t have down days. I’d like to tell other kids to keep fighting on… (and) they might not have a tomorrow, so they should live life to the fullest, like I am doing.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 28 August 2018