You've brought living buds to life
The care and concern that PCC doctors showed touched one patient’s relative so much, she wrote a letter of thanks
The letter that Dr Ang Peng Tiam, Medical Director of Parkway Cancer Centre (PCC), received was written simply, but it conveyed exactly and sincerely a patient’s gratitude.
It came from the daughter-in-law of an elderly Vietnamese lady, Madam Le Thi Ngoc Trang. The 72-year-old was suffering from stage IV lung cancer when she first arrived in Singapore. She was completely bedridden, because the cancer had attacked her bones in many parts of her body, causing severe pain.
Under Dr Ang’s treatment, her condition improved signifi cantly. Within three months, she was sitting up for short periods of time, and her scans showed a good response to treatment.
It prompted her daughter-in-law, Ms Anh Nguyet, to pen a letter to Dr Ang thanking him for his tireless ministrations, care and concern. Dr Ang, she said, had taken care of Madam Le and other patients with much talent and wholehearted care.
“I have never seen anyone who can work under high pressure like you and your staff at PCC clinic,” she wrote.
With the letter, she enclosed an unusual gift: A framed photograph of a grasp of green leaves, emerging from what appears to be a dead, coal-black tree, reaching for the morning sun.
It reflected, wrote Ms Anh, what Dr Ang had done for her mother-in-law and other patients.
“Like the warm sunshine, you have brought living buds to life,” she wrote. “You have given them a chance to recover from the degeneration of old age and disease.”
The letter and the photograph touched Dr Ang. Every gift, whether it is flowers and fruits or pens and watches, spurs him to keep going in his efforts to help patients.
Some are simple – like the packed lunches that patients buy for him when they see him. “Two of my favourites are minced pork with salted fish and bak kut teh from Balestier,” he says with a laugh, referring to the local dish of spiced pork ribs from an area well known for the dish.
“I always savour them because these patients know that these are the ‘naughty foods’ that I enjoy eating.”
The letters and cards, like the one that Ms Anh sent, give him special pleasure. “I really like this letter from Madam Le Thi Ngoc Trang’s daughter-in-law,” he says.
“I know that she is not comfortable with the English language, yet she managed to capture both in words and in the photograph the struggle that her mother-in-law went through in her fight against cancer, and her appreciation for the effort that the PCC team has put in caring for her.”
Life for the living buds
This is an edited excerpt of the letter from Ms Anh Nguyet to Dr Ang:
Dear Dr Ang
Eight years ago, I went on a trip to the countryside in Vietnam, along with some other amateur photographers.
While everyone was passionately taking photos of models posing, I was attracted by a tree.
It formed an unforgettable image in my mind – I stood there for a very long time.
It was what appeared to be a dead and coal-black tree; but surprisingly on its trunk, there were some verdant buds, reaching to the sunbeams in the early morning.
I am just an amateur photographer, not good enough to take a good photo and convey its full meaning. But that image really moved me.
Last year my mother-in-law had lung cancer at the late stage. I took her to Mount Elizabeth Hospital and she was under your care for three months. During this time, I discovered your great talent and wholehearted care for all patients.
Actually, I have never seen anyone who can work under high pressure like you and your staff at PCC clinic.
I would like to send you this picture, with our deep gratitude.
Like the warm sunshine, you have brought living buds to life.
You have given them a chance to recover from the degeneration of old age and disease.
Yours faithfully,
Anh Nguyet
