Here at Little Life Warrior Society, we provide care and support to children diagnosed with cancer. As the little warriors go through their lengthy treatments, they often have a lot of waiting time before and after hospital sessions; so I prepare games, crafts, videos and educational materials to play with them and keep them engaged and uplifted during these times. Children who are battling illness and their families can often feel very isolated and lonely. So through our support groups, like our choir and band, we hope to remind them that they are not alone in this journey. I experienced a long period of illness myself back in 2011. I was told that I had a brain tumour and needed to have an operation, which eventually lasted 20 hours. Luckily the tumour was benign and I have fully recovered, but I have full compassion for these kids as I understand what it’s like to be in a state of uncertainty and fear due to a health issue, and how helpless one can feel. Compassion means to see from someone’s point of view, understand their situation and care for them based on how they feel. I’m so grateful to be alive and want to give all my love and support to these little warriors who are so strongly and admirably fighting!”

「喺生命小戰士會呢度，我哋會照顧同支援患咗癌症嘅小朋友。呢班 小戰士 要接受好漫長嘅治療，治療前後都要有好長時間留喺醫院，所以我會帶啲遊戲、手工、影片同埋教學材料俾佢哋玩，等佢哋有啲嘢做，心情好啲。對抗緊癌症嘅小朋友同埋佢哋嘅家人可能好多時候都會覺得孤立無援。透過我哋嘅支援小組，好似係合唱團同埋樂隊咁，我哋希望俾佢哋知道，佢哋喺呢個過程入面唔係得自己一個。我自己喺2011年都患過重病。醫生話我個腦入面有個腫瘤，需要做手術，最後個手術做咗20個鐘。好在個腫瘤係良性，而家我都好返哂。但係我可以明白呢啲小朋友嘅心情，當你無辦法掌握自己嘅健康，係會好驚同埋好無助。同理心係要從對方嘅角度睇事物，明白佢哋嘅處境，從佢哋嘅感受出發去關心佢哋。我好感恩自己仲可以健健康康，我想將所有嘅愛同埋力量送俾呢班生命小戰士，佢哋好堅強，好努力咁戰鬥緊！」 

“I have been working at Little Life Warrior Society for 2 years and it’s my first job in the NGO sector. Before this, I worked in kindergartens for over 20 years. It’s so satisfying to work with kids as they are so innocent and playful - they sing, dance, talk and you see them improve and grow every day. Over the years, I’ve learned that there is no one-size-fits-all approach with kids because each child is unique. At our playgroups, we sometimes have some very reserved kids who don’t want to engage at first. But children are very intuitive and will feel genuine care; so with some patience, kindness and mutual trust, they will gradually open up. When the kids have to stay in the hospital for long periods, they often miss their classmates and friends. So with the help of our social worker, we pair them up with kids who are on their road to recovery, so that they can support each other and keep each other company. Just like any other person who is unwell, what these kids need most is care, support and knowing that they’re not alone.”

“Even as a kid myself, I would play ‘teacher’ with my two younger sisters. I would come up with all sorts of games, props and ideas and have a great time. We used to live in a large housing estate, where all the neighbouring kids would get together and play everyday. Even though I’ve spent most of my life working with children, I never lose my temper with them. I think it’s more effective to connect with and discipline kids through reasoning and sharing of experiences, rather than yelling and shouting. I have a 20 year old son. I always joke with other parents that, ironically, I am not a good role model as a mother. Because I was so busy working in the early years of my career, my son spent a lot of time with his grandma and I would only see him on weekends. We are a lot closer now and have really bonded over the years, which I’m so grateful for. He also wants to become a teacher. I guess I might have influenced him in some way! In my time off, I love to go on boat rides and take long walks in nature; when taking care of others, we also need to remember to take care of ourselves!”

. 

「我喺生命小戰士會呢度工作咗兩年，係我第一份喺慈善機構做嘅工作。未喺呢度做之前，我教幼稚園教咗超過20年。對住小朋友嘅工作係好有滿足感㗎，因為佢哋好單純，好容易就玩得好開心，唱吓歌、跳吓舞、同你傾計，每一日你都會見到佢哋嘅進步同埋成長。過咗咁多年，我明白冇一個方法係啱哂所有小朋友嘅，因為佢哋每個都好獨特。喺我哋嘅遊戲小組入面，有時會有啲好怕羞嘅小朋友，一開始唔想加入。但小朋友係好純粹㗎，佢哋會感受到你嘅真心，所以只要有啲耐性，溫柔嘅態度同埋互相信任，佢哋終有一日會接受你。留喺醫院好長時間嗰陣，佢哋會好掛住同學仔同埋朋友。透過本會社工安排，我哋將啲康復緊嘅小朋友同病緊嘅小朋友拉埋一齊，等佢哋互相支持，成為彼此嘅夥伴。同任何身體唔舒服嘅人一樣，呢啲小朋友最需要嘅就係關懷、支援同埋知道佢哋唔係孤單一個。」

「我自己細個嗰陣已經會扮老師同兩個細妹玩。我會自創好多遊戲，整啲道具，有好多鬼主意，嗰時係玩得好開心。以前我哋住大型屋邨，所有住附近嘅小朋友每日都會聚埋一齊玩。雖然我人生大部份嘅時間都係要對住小朋友，但係我從來唔會鬧佢哋。我覺得如果要有效咁同小朋友溝通同埋令佢哋遵守紀律，就應該同佢哋講道理同埋分享經驗，好過對佢哋呼呼喝喝。我有一個仔，佢今年20歲。我成日同其他家長講笑話，好諷刺地，我唔係一個好媽媽嘅榜樣。我做嘢嘅頭幾年太忙，阿仔好多時都係要跟住婆婆，我淨係星期六日先會見到佢。而家就好好多啦，我哋喺之後建立返個關係，我都好感恩。佢第時都想做老師，我諗我對佢都有啲影響嘅！放假嘅時候，我鍾意去遊船河，同埋去郊外行吓。照顧人嘅同時，我哋都要記得照顧好自己呀！」