Story of Heather.

"With hope, the odds doesn't matter" 

Heather, now, with 8 years old Lily.

.. and if you were wondering, the story is a courageous inspiring one. Cancer is a dreadful thing. I already lost two of my best friends of it, and they were no more than 25 years old at that time. So that's one problem. Most doctors would shy away at the prospect of cancer because you're so young, you're active, your family doesn't have a history, you don't smoke, you are not exposed to hazardous materials, to put it simply, your chances are small.

Heather was diagnosed when she was only 36 years old and just giving birth to a lovely baby girl. She was diagnosed with a mesothelioma cancer. It is such a mouthful but I try to make it easy for you. Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in mesothelium, which is a thin membrane that holds up all your internal organs. It is caused by abestos exposure. What is abestos again? It's a fiber like minerals, mined, mostly used commercially in building construction industry, for roofing, insulation, piping, tiling, and so on. It's even found on (some) automotive's brakes, paints, adhesive materials, plastics, garden product, and even crayons. *gasp. 

Heather got in contact by a secondhand exposure, her dad, often came home in his work clothes, covered in white dust. And as a little girl, unbeknownst to her, she often played with her dad's attire. Upon diagnosed, she was given only 15 months to live. And here she is now, 8 years and counting after winning her battle. 

Take a time to look at her 3 minutes video, or maybe read her courageous blog, or visit The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Blog or Mesothelioma Lawyer Centre for more info about the cancer. When I lost my baby Glenn last 2011, I got many many many surviving comrades online, parents who has lost their little angels, and I continuously exchanging emails with some of them, catching up and holding on to each other for support. I can only assure you never underestimate the power of a total stranger's love and compassion. We are extremely lucky to be in this digital limitless era, so make the most of it! Let's build hope, reach out, and raise awareness.

Baby G : one year adventure

If I can love..

..you more....sigh...


My family dog of 14 years, Bronnie, just passed away on Friday, so yes, it's been a rough weekend for me, not to mention the common cold Baby G has to suffer. Just like an episode of Oprah, I really really regret that I didn't have the chance to say goodbye, stand by her when she needs me, or say I love you, or show her how she means to me, no, I just took her being for granted, it's (always) too late now and I deeply regret that. With all those Oprah episodes and movies and books with similar moral I am still an ignorant idiot who think of Bronnie as just another old furniture in the house.

My brother put a song by Jackson 5, Ben, into a really good interpretation of Bronnie's life. She was taken from the street by my father, along with her sister, at merely 6 months or so, given by my father to his acquaintance for another months, and then we finally adopted her when she was about 1 year old. Her sister stayed with the acquaintance, but her life was even shorter. Bronnie had many great personalities and you can say that she was an "easy" pet. She required very little pampering, rarely got sick, ate almost anything, slept almost anywhere, and very easily toilet trained (she's even the one who refused to took a leak everywhere, she had a favorite spot in our garden). She's hug-able (you can notice her cute chubby stature) and always in a good (not the too excited one) mood. Maybe that's the reason I took her for granted. Sigh. I can go on and on and I still have that hole in my heart. I can't never be the same person again now.



I need to move on, be very strong. If you're kind enough, please help me immortalized Bronnie by using this patterned paper of her to your creation. Please feel free to use it any way you can. here.