KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — In a bid to show `support for her 20-year-old cancer-stricken student, a kind-hearted lecturer from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) shaved off her hair recently.
According to UMS website, Dr Bamini KPD Balakrishnan, who is a senior lecturer at the Economics and Accountancy Faculty, decided to shave her head to support her student, Richelle Hii Hua Yin, who was diagnosed with stage three bone cancer in February.
Bamini said that there were many ways to show support to Richelle, but she chose to cut her locks to give her courage to stay positive.
“I want her to know that we are all there for her and she is not alone in this difficult moment,” she added.
“There’s no intention to seek popularity. I just want to give her support and courage to keep being positive.”
Bamini also said that Richelle was a bright and active student who obtained excellent results in her first semester with a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.6 and was also a member of the Police Undergraduate Voluntary Corp (Suksis).
“I’m asking all my friends and also the public to pray for her smooth recovery,” said Bamini.
Richelle was initially diagnosed with bone cancer in the knee area but while undergoing her first chemotherapy treatment in March, it was found that the cancer had spread to the lungs.
The 20-year-old also expressed he appreciation towards Bamini for her support and solidarity.
“We did know each other as we rarely interacted with one another, but I am immensely grateful for what she did and only God can respond to her kind gesture,” Richelle told Malay portal Berita Harian, adding that the lecturer visited her in Likas Hospital, Kota Kinabalu earlier this week.
Richelle also shared that she is grateful for receiving a lot of support and encouragement from her friends and family from the start.
