Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/7/nation/15070082&sec=nation
Monday August 7, 2006
Blogger who wrote on life as cancer patient
PETALING JAYA: Most people start a web log (blog) talking about their daily life.
But Foo Hee Boon, 39, started a blog to share his experience of being a cancer patient after he was diagnosed with lung cancer on March 12 last year.
After almost a year and a half, Foo’s battle with the disease ended when he passed away on Friday. He was cremated at the MPPJ Crematorium here yesterday.
Through his blogging, Foo described some of the pain he endured and created awareness of the disease in many readers who frequented his site.
I took half an hour just to swallow a mug of water; the pain was excruciating. This was one of those times when my confidence went down, the blog entitled ‘Hee Boon’s Amazing New Adventures’ said.
Those who visited his blog at http://fhbadventure.blogspot.com were touched by his entries and left comments, telling him to keep his spirits up.
One of the readers replied: Meskipun kita mengamalkan kepercayaan anutan yang berbeza, saya memang tersentuh, anda amat tabah. (Although we are of different faiths, I am touched, you are resilient.)
The reader then said she had been diagnosed with womb cancer recently and was shocked. But she then realised that life was too short to be sad about, and the act of waking up every day was a bonus.
Before Foo was diagnosed with cancer, he was a full-time environmentalist working with various organisations and was passionate about climate change.
When he was struck with the disease and could no longer carry on with his work, he chose to blog to keep himself busy, and as a way to communicate with his many friends.
His fellow environmental peers felt a deep loss.
His lecturer Dr Tan Ka Kheng, 54, said Foo was a rare person among his generation.
I wrote a reference for him when he was pursuing a master’s degree and he has proven to be true to his pursuit in the environmental field, Tan said.
The environment consultant said Foo did ground work rather than just sit in the comfort of his office.
We were together when we went to check out rubbish dumps which we later discovered to be radioactive, he said.
Foo leaves his step mum, stepsister and five brothers and sisters.