When Support Is Missing: Helping Patients Feel Less Alone

For someone diagnosed with cancer, the journey can be overwhelming. Alongside the physical and emotional challenges of treatment, some patients must also cope with a lack of support from the very people they depend on most.

In Khairunnisa’s opinion, a Community Navigator at Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim (HSAH), Kedah, helping patients through these difficult moments begins with something simple but powerful: listening without judgement.

Khairunnisa at the Pink Ribbon Centre in HSAH, Kedah, where she supports patients and helps them navigate their cancer journey.

She recalls supporting a pregnant breast cancer patient who shared that her husband was not providing the support she needed during treatment and at home. Rather than making assumptions about the family situation, Khairunisa gave the patient a safe space to express her feelings.

“Sometimes, patients may feel alone even when they have people around them,” she explains.

Khairunnisa understands that family members may also be dealing with their own fears and worries. However, every patient’s circumstances are different. Her priority is to respect the patient’s wishes, protect their privacy and understand what support they need.

Understanding Before Judging

Khairunnisa’s approach is shaped not only by her professional experience but also by her own family’s journey.

Khairunnisa attending to a patient at the hospital, providing essential supplies and compassionate care during their hospital stay.

When her mother needed specialist treatment, the family faced financial difficulties and transportation challenges. With responsibilities at home, her mother delayed seeking treatment, and her condition worsened. Eventually, Khairunisa was able to help her mother access the care she needed, and her mother recovered.

That experience changed how Khairunisa views patients who struggle to seek treatment.

Instead of asking, “Why didn’t you come earlier?”, she believes it is more important to ask, “What made it difficult for you to come?”

This understanding guides her work with patients, many of whom face long journeys to hospitals, transport costs and family responsibilities. By listening carefully and explaining information in simple terms, including using the local dialect where helpful, she works to build trust and help patients navigate their challenges.

Serving Her Community with Compassion

Having studied Social Work, Khairunnisa chose to serve the community in Kedah, where she understands the realities many local families face.

Khairunnisa and her colleague during a home visit, delivering essential household supplies and groceries to support a patient and their family.

Through her role, she has learnt that cancer affects more than the individual diagnosed. It can place emotional, practical and financial pressure on the entire family. Some patients need help understanding their treatment journey, while others simply need someone who will listen and take their concerns seriously.

For Khairunnisa, Pink Ribbon Centres are therefore more than places where patients receive information. They can also be safe and supportive spaces where patients feel heard, understood and less alone.

Every patient comes with a different story, and there is no single solution for every challenge. By approaching each person with empathy and without judgement, Khairunnisa hopes to help patients feel supported as they navigate an uncertain journey.

Khairunnisa extending support to family members caring for patients in the hospital, recognising that cancer affects not only patients but their loved ones as well.

Help Us Make a Difference

Behind every patient is a story, a family and a set of challenges that may not always be visible. Community Navigators like Khairunisa help bridge the gaps by connecting patients with information, resources and compassionate support when they need it most.

This Pink October, Cancer Research Malaysia extends its heartfelt gratitude to our donors, funders, well-wishers and supporters whose contributions help sustain this important work.

Your continued support enables us to reach more patients and families, helping ensure that no one has to face the cancer journey feeling alone. We invite more individuals and organisations to join us in strengthening this support for patients and their communities.