30 years ago, Jamiyah of Boyanese descent arrived from Indonesia to Malaysia in search of a better life. Today, she is a proud wife, mother and grandmother.
When surrounded by her family, Jamiyah seems at peace. Her shy daughters sit in the background, giggling at something between themselves while she happily attends to one grandchild in the crib while the other sits on her lap, waiting for her attention.
The look in her eyes tell a lot about her character – she is a strong and accepting woman. Diagnosed with breast cancer 4 years ago, Jamiyah’s will to live is inspired by the love she feels at home. She appreciates each day as it comes. There was a time when her illness caused her to have a pleural effusion, which is a build-up of extra fluid in the space between the lungs and the chest wall. Thankfully, she was able to count on palliative care from Hospis Malaysia to ease her pain and emotional anxieties. Her palliative care nurse provides her with support and training on proper pain and symptom control.
Although saddened by the limitations her illness brings, she feels no anger and is at peace with what has happened and what is to come. Her faith helps her keep calm, as she shifts her attention away from her illness and focuses on her loved ones.