Trust fund to be set up for cancer-stricken mum, teen

PETALING JAYA: The donation campaign for terminally ill Vijayaletchumy Subramaniam, 51, and her 13-year-old daughter, which ended on Monday, has raised a total of RM48,515. Of the amount, theSun had raised RM39,010 and the balance was collected by the Council of Datuk Dato’ Malaysia.

Vijayaletchumy, who is a single parent and widow, suffers from stage four breast cancer that has spread to her lungs, neck and nerves, leaving her just months to live.

She and her only child, Kalliswary Chandrasegaran, had sought public donations to pay for her medical treatment, as well as groceries, utility bills and school supplies.

theSun broke the story of the family’s predicament on March 21, after which it received a deluge of phone calls and emails from individuals who wished to help.

The donations will be handed to the Suriana Welfare Society (SWS), which has committed to looking after Vijayaletchumy’s medical needs and Kalliswary’s educational requirements until she reaches 18 years of age, or until she completes her university education. A trust fund will be set up for them.

Established in 2011, SWS is an NGO managed by Dr James Nayagam as chairman. A well-known social activist, James previously served for two terms as the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner. He is also a former commissioner of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission.

“I have been assisting the public for more than 40 years. SWS was established about 12 years ago to pursue the development of preventive and rehabilitative programmes to address social issues involving disadvantaged children and their families.

“We will provide Kalliswary with all her needs, such as accommodation and education once her mother is not around.

“We will also provide her with long-term care and comfort as her mother is expected to succumb to stage four cancer within the next few months. This will be tragic for a 13-year-old and we have the experience to help her overcome her grief,” he said.

James said in the interim, SWS will monitor Vijayaletchumy’s health and look after the family’s groceries and other needs so that she does not suffer undue stress or worry, which will worsen her condition.

“We will also provide Vijayaletchumy with a surgical bed, and supply her with adult diapers and all her other medical requirements.

“My team visited the family’s home at Kampung Fajar, Ampang, and found it poorly maintained. We are arranging for volunteers to clean the house to ensure proper hygiene and safety for the mother and daughter.”

James said Vijayaletchumy’s situation is not new as SWS has dealt with numerous similar cases.

“In one case, a girl had some issue with her eyes. She was said to require surgery. Her parents contacted me and I sought a second opinion from an acquaintance who is an eye specialist.

“She checked the girl’s eyes and informed me that she just needed some minor correction and not full-fledged surgery,” he said.

In another case, a family was living on the streets and SWS relocated them to a house with proper utilities, added James.

“There are many other cases that we’ve dealt with, and I always believe communities can be transformed only through education.”

Those who are keen to continue helping Vijayaletchumy and Kalliswary can make contributions via the Suriana Welfare Society Maybank account number 512361505370.

The NGO can also be contacted at 1300-88-2200.

The public may also contact SWS’s legal representative MC Wan & Associates and speak to Doreen Wan Mei Chi at 016-2122 551 regarding any legal questions on how the funds would be used.

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