Rui Min was the primary caregiver to her late fiancé, Muhammad Farhan Shahnamy Bin Omar, when he was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive Lymphoma.
His cancer persisted even with many rounds of treatment. After a successful stem cell transplant through his brother, everyone thought that Farhan was on his way to recovery. Unexpectedly, his condition deteriorated and he passed on after he proposed to Rui Min.
"At first, he had a swollen face and chest pain which we thought was an allergy. We didn't expect that it was lymphoma,” said Rui Min, a nurse by profession.
Farhan and Rui Min started the treatment journey with hope. He tried chemotherapy and radiotherapy but did not see any results until he underwent immunotherapy. Thus, his doctor recommended him to undergo stem cell transplantation.
The transplantation was successful and the couple was looking forward to tie the knot. Unfortunately, Farhan experienced a relapse 80 days after the transplant and his condition deteriorated rapidly. He eventually succumbed to cancer in June 2019.
Rui Min was unable to accept the death of her fiancé and cried for a month. She coped with grief through Farhan’s last words. "He hoped that I could take good care of myself, be happy, and find someone who loves me."
To fulfill his last wish, Rui Min strives to keep herself happy and found solace by helping patients and caregivers who faced similar situations.
Besides sharing her story to increase the awareness of rare cancers, Rui Min participated in Run for Hope 2020’s virtual run to help raise funds for cancer research at the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS).
“Although it still hurts to lose a loved one, I hope our journey will inspire others to find strength.”
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