April 16, 2025
JOHOR BARU – For nearly a year, Rafidah Manaf has been going in and out of hospitals to take care of her teenage son, who has been diagnosed with a rare type of cancer.
The 45-year-old single mother of two said that her 17-year-old son, Muhammad Adif Fadrul Syahrul, has sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that develops in the body’s connective tissues.
“My son started having sharp pains in his left shoulder in June last year.
“He told me that it was very painful. So I brought him to the Enche Besar Hajjah Khalsom Hospital in Kluang.
“The hospital gave him some painkillers to ease the discomfort in his left shoulder, and we went home.
“However, a month later, he noticed swelling on the same shoulder,” she said here yesterday.
Rafidah added they went back to the hospital to undergo further medical treatment.
“When the swelling appeared the first time, I was worried it was cancer, but Muhammad Adif assured me that it was nothing to worry about.
“However, in December last year, my son was referred to the Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Pahat to undergo an MRI scan, and the doctors informed us that he has cancer. My heart just sank,” she said.
Rafidah said her son has been receiving cancer treatment at the Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI) here since February of this year. She has been staying by his side ever since.
She said she had to quit her job of nearly 10 years at a restaurant in Kluang, while her six-year-old daughter is now under the care of a relative back home.
Rafidah also said her son’s health is becoming increasingly unstable as cancer cells have spread to his face, kidneys, lungs, blood and bones.
“His face is swollen, and he couldn’t lie on his left or right side. Muhammad Adif often stays in a prostrated position just to feel comfortable in bed.
“His mouth is full of ulcers, and currently, he is undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments,” she said, adding that her son would be discharged from HSI today but would still need to visit the hospital for treatment.
Rafidah also said she was grateful for the help she received from her relatives and even from Muhammad Adif’s school, SMK Sultan Abdul Jalil.
“HSI nurses and support staff are also helping me to apply for financial assistance from the Johor Islamic Religious Council Baitulmal.
“Hopefully my application can be approved, as the money is meant to take care of Muhammad Adif and his medical needs, including to travel between Kluang and HSI,” she said.
Rafidah added that as long as Muhammad Adif is still breathing, she would do whatever it takes to make sure that her son will be healthy again.