Compassionate companions: Angels of Dubai

It's 7.15am on a Sunday morning and Malu, 50, has reported to Dubai Hospital. A breast cancer patient under palliative care, she is scheduled for her eighth cycle of chemotherapy, her 15th session so far. She has a long day ahead but she is all smiles. "It's only because of them," she says, pointing to two women flanking her. Unlikely companions both, Minnie Calleja, a fellow Filipina and Suzanne Kazan, a Swiss housewife, are there - quite literally - for Malu. Since last June, they've been accompanying her on her every visit to the hospital. It's a small gesture but one that means a lot to the patient. A single mother who works as a nail technician at a Dubai spa, Malu said her children, 30 and 29, live in the Philippines. "I have no family here except for a working niece. Sometimes I wonder how I managed before Minnie and Suzanne came into my life." That's precisely the gap that the duo hoped they would fill when they signed up as volunteers for Care for Cancer. It is a project initiated by Lola Lopez of the non-profit Volunteer in Dubai and Malu is the first of many patients they are aiming to reach out to. "We became aware of the plight of many cancer patients who live in the UAE, far from loved ones, who were undergoing chemotherapy alone. To then learn that most were taking taxis home after treatment felt so wrong," said Lola. From collecting and dropping off the patient to sitting through the chemo session, following up with the doctor and doing the paperwork, the role of the cancer companions demands that they remain with the patient all day. In addition, the chemo sessions present a set of physical and emotional challenges which they must cope with (see box). "It takes a lot for the patients to allow volunteers who are essentially strangers into a very private part of their lives. So this has to be respected with unwavering commitment. With their life on the line, it is imperative that the patients' energy is focused on the fight against the disease and not new faces to learn to trust," said Lola, adding that dedicated volunteers are picked with great care. Suzanne, 45, sees her calling as no coincidence. "There must be a reason why I am here," she said, adding that her husband and two grown-up children are supportive of what she does. "We are just in the right place at the right time," said 31-year-old Minnie, who is married but has no children. "Malu is like my baby, mother, friend - all rolled into one. She is strong and has single-handedly coped with three surgeries - two lumpectomies and a mastectomy - before she met us." "The biggest challenge she faced was to make sense of what was happening to her as information sometimes is not forthcoming," said Suzanne. The cost of treatment is also a huge burden. Although Malu's chemotherapy sessions were free till now, she is worried about raising the money for upcoming sessions. "I do not know how I will manage as even the blood tests and room charges which I pay for creates a hole in my pocket," she said. For now though, she is thankful for the support she gets from her friends. Challenge of Chemo Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to destroy cancer cells. Periodically administered through injections, intravenously or intra-arterially, each session can take up to a few hours. Different patients respond differently. Side-effects could be immediate or staggered, and range from extreme fatigue, nausea and pain to hair loss, anaemia, bleeding, fluid retention and digestive changes. These come with associated emotional changes. -    The Lavender and Children's Cancer Centre is organising a ‘Mummy & Me, Princess Tea Party' for mothers and daughters to raise funds for children suffering from cancer. -    WHERE: Media Rotana Hotel -    WHEN: January 14, 3pm-6pm -    TICKETS: Dh150 for mothers and Dh50 for daughters -    CONTACT: 04-395 334, 04-434 1984, 04-4243 777