My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

Told in alternating focalization by the engaging, conflicting cast of Picoult’s characters, My Sister’s Keeper manages to portray a truthful, fast-happening, but a sad and theatrically realistic storyline for the readers. The unexpected plot twist in the last 50 pages, that truly blown my mind off, also makes my heart aches for Anna and the Fitzgeralds. This is a beautiful, soul-wracking, verisimilar and engagingly contentious book.  

It doesn't take a whole long life to realize that what we deserve to have, we rarely get. 

You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not. 

Maybe who we are isn't so much about what we do, but rather what we're capable of when we least expect it. 

If you have a sister and she dies, do you stop saying you have one? Or are you always a sisterm even when the other half of the equation is gone?

You know how every now and the, you have a moment where your whole life stretches our ahead of you life a forked road, and even as you choose one gritty path you've got your eyes on the other the whole time, certain that you're making a mistake?

I learn from my own daughter that you don;t have to be awake to cry. 

Remember that every fire will burn itself out, even without your help. 

Sometimes to get what you want the most, you have to do what you want the least. 

- Jodi Picoult, My Sister's Keeper

(October 2015) CAS Reflection: 3 – Relay for Life 2015 (Service Learning)

Relay for Life 2015 (Service Learning)

Event Proposal   :              Relay for Life 2015

Objectives          :             

To show encouragement to the cancer patients and celebrate cancer survivors.

Activity Description         :

Relay for Life is a 16 hour overnight event, starting from dusk and ends at dawn the next day. Individuals, survivors and people from all walks of life will come together to take turns to walk the track continuously. Games, performances and fundraising events will take place during Relay for Life to raise funds in support of the cancer awareness cause.

Time                     :             

5^th – 6^th September 2015

Location              : 

Dataran Petaling Jaya

Supervisor          :             

Mr Guna,

Housemaster of Puncak Prima Condominium, Taylor’s Hostel Management

012-5117416

Goal                     :   

·        Work collaboratively with individuals and cancer survivors from all walks of life to make this event a success.

·        Resonates the extraordinary aura of teamwork, and comradeship.

·        Delegate jobs.

·        Showing perseverance and commitment.

·        Increased awareness of strength and areas of growth.

·        Engages with issues of global importance.

Impact                 :

·        Raise awareness about cancer patients and survivors.

·        Some feelings/ moments are beyond our ability to describe and can only be experienced.

Timeline              :             

5^TH – 6^TH September 2015:

(Arrived as volunteers at 1530, 5^th September 2015, help setting up the place and set up our tents)

(Event – Relay starts at 1800, 5^th September 2015)

(My shift as Security and Emergency Officer starts at 0000, 6^th September 2015 and ends at 0500)

(Event – Relay ends at 1000, 6^th September 2015)

Cas Reflection:

Figure 1: TCSH volunteers for Relay for Life Kuala Lumpur 2015

Figure 1: TCSH volunteers for Relay for Life Kuala Lumpur 2015

Relay for Life began in 1985 in Tacoma, Washington when Dr. Gordon Klatt walked for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. He raised 27, 000 USD that first year. The next year, he invited his friends to join him. People camped out and took turns walking the track. Since then, Relay for Life events around the world have raised over a billion dollars to support programs aimed at eliminating cancer. Relay for Life arrived on Malaysian shores in 2005. It kick started in Penang and by 2007, National Cancer Society Malaysia took on Relay for Life in Kuala Lumpur. Now, Relay for Life is an annual event in both Penang and Kuala Lumpur, raising thousands of Ringgit to help educate, care and support Malaysians in regards to cancer.

Volunteering in such an event like Relay for Life Kuala Lumpur 2015, I managed to work collaboratively with individuals and cancer survivors from all walks of life to make this event a success. I was able to realise that Cancer is a REAL thing, and it wasn’t something that is far away from us. In fact, it is everywhere. Also, cancer doesn’t discriminate. No matter who you are, who you will be, cancer can still track you down, haunts you and kills you. Cancer is a global issue that threatens every nation in the world. We humans should stand strong together to deal with it. We shouldn’t discriminate because cancer just doesn’t care about our background.

Figure 2: Me and My crazy hairstyle and face paint to support cancer patient

In Relay for Life a.k.a. Cancer Relay 2015, we celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer as their strength inspires others to continue the fight against this evil illness. We remember their loved ones lost to the disease. At Cancer Relay people who have walked alongside the patients can commiserate and find healing whilst showing encouragement to them who are battling cancer. While I walked for Relay for Life for 16 hours, I realised that this event has been a very meaning event held annually all around the world. It is a cancer fighting event that symbolizes the struggles faced by cancer patients and survivors throughout their journey and battle with the malicious cancer disease. For such a 16-hour-long event, the participants were required to walk constantly in the field track throughout the 16 hours. Personally, I felt that this event was truly enriching and reflective. It was so symbolic that the relay started at dusk (6.30 pm) on the 5th of September the crowd was traversing into the night. Darkness threatened to take over – symbolizes the devilish cancer that threatens to conquer and possess the body of the patient; meanwhile, breaking dawn was the undying life force of the survivors. Light=HOPE for you and me! By walking and staying awake for 16 hours, we had experienced a small part of the daily lives of cancer patients, and we were all exhausted by the end of the 16 hours. We could scarcely imagine the real terror of the battle against cancer.

Figure 3 : Team TCSH on the Relay Track

However, even though we were tired, I still felt that I can still go on for hours.  I realized the sheer determination of human willpower and mental strength, and I realize that is also one of my strength. I can do something for hours, if I really want to do it and I’m truly involved in making the thing I want to do a great success. We had all shown perseverance and commitment throughout the event. I didn’t sleep or take a nap for more than 24 hours, albeit some of us did surrender to drowsiness and lethargy. My feet were all swollen and painful due to the friction for walking non-stop for 16 hours, but I didn’t stop until the very end of the event. I guess, when I am given a responsibility, my “persevering and committed mode” will set in and I will carry out my task to the extent of draining all of my physical strength and ability.

Figure 4: Getting through the night

Figure 5 : Go Team Voluteer!!