Support for Marilyn's battle against cancer

I am reaching out on behalf of my wonderful and beautiful sister, Marilyn. On March 12, 2024, Marilyn was diagnosed with stage four cancer. She is a devoted daughter, a loving and supportive sister, a brilliant PhD student, and a true and loyal friend. Her passions have always been to create meaningful relationships with others, to present solutions that help people and improve their communities, and to create better lives for others.

Marilyn began suffering from pain in her back around Christmas 2023. It grew progressively worse into excruciating pain by February, resulting in three ER visits. None of these trips to the hospital included imaging or other diagnostics, leaving her incapacitated by pain and without answers.

It was at this time we had a trip planned to go home to Malaysia, something the whole family had been looking forward to for months. Despite her crippling pain, she decided to stay true to her promise and miraculously made the 24 hour flight home with me. Upon arrival she was completely paralyzed with pain.

Our parents rushed her in for an MRI, and that’s where they discovered that tumors had metastasized into her spine, pressing into the nerves of her spine and creating intense pain. A CT scan revealed the tumors had spread to her lung, adrenal glands and liver. At this point a lung biopsy was done and she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.

As a family, we forged ahead through our devastation to find the best oncology team we could in Asia. Through God’s will, we were connected with a successful and compassionate group of doctors in Singapore, so we decided to fly her out to seek treatment right away. We truly believe this is her best hope to fight this.

Marilyn’s will to live is unbreakable. She has pushed through so much pain to get to this point, where she can receive treatments and medication. She wants to live, not only so she can continue experiencing a fulfilling life, but to also give hope to others who feel all hope is lost. She wants to be a cancer warrior. She is fighting this battle to win.

Our family is fighting hard every day, but the reality is that our savings can only go so far. Singapore’s dollar rate is over three times more than the Malaysian dollar and almost equivalent to the US dollar. We decided to start Marilyn a GoFundMe to help with the heavy financial burden that her treatment will inevitably create. We are doing all we can for Marilyn, but we know we can’t do this alone. Please help us fight for a miracle for Maril. Please help us save our beloved daughter, sister, and friend.

For transparency, all donations will be used to support Maril’s medical treatments and her well-being through this process. Donations will be sent to our parents in Singapore as that is where she is receiving care. Any remaining donations after Maril is better (we are believing!) will be donated to a cancer research facility or hospital to support further advancement of cancer treatments and solutions.