Boy, 8, will run, hoping it can save his mother’s life
Run for Hope in 2018 marks 25 years of raising awareness, support for cancer research
Fifteen months ago, Ms Wan Petom Haris, 50, was diagnosed with stage four cancer and the doctor gave her six months to live.
This Sunday, about 10,000 runners are expected to take part in Run for Hope at the Singapore Sports Hub, OCBC Square and her son, Calihashim Arrauuf Bahtiar will be one of them.
The eight-year-old believes he will be helping to save his mother's life if he runs.
TWO CATEGORIES
The event, organised by Four Seasons Hotel Singapore, Regent Singapore and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS), is celebrating its silver anniversary and will have two categories: a 10km run, and a 3.5km run which Calihashim will be participating in.
Yu Neng Primary School pupil Calihashim told The New Paper: "I want to make her proud. I hope I can make her feel better."Ms Wan Petom said Calihashim would follow her for her chemotherapy and radiation sessions.
"We were afraid at first to tell him about the cancer, referring to it as 'germs'," she said. "But after a while he started Googling what cancer was by himself."
On Aug 10, 2016, Ms Wan Petom was diagnosed with stage four cancer, which started from her breast and spread to her liver, spine, spleen, hips and kidney.
Her husband, Mr Bahtiar Hashim, 64, took a year off from working part-time as a satay hawker to care for her.
He has since returned to work as doctors said Ms Wan Petom's condition has stabilised.
She said: "Back then, I couldn't even sit up (because of the pain) and he would have to help me. Other times, my husband had to bathe me too."
Calihashim prays his mother will get better.
Ms Wan Petom said of her only child: "I'm very proud of him. Cali's my superglue."
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