Love Without Borders

(picture taken from The Edmonds Beacon)

(Article taken from The Enterprise Newspaper, dated November 5, 2008)

From Malaysia, a mural

• Leukimia survivor brings his art to Edmonds.

By Chris Fyall
Enterprise editor

Call it a grand expression.
Call it a wonderful gesture.
Whatever you do, call it thankful.

Because the mural of Wen Heui Fan, 35, a Malaysian artist who traveled last week across the Pacific Ocean to paint in Edmonds, materialized only after Fan survived leukimia, and only after he obtained the help of Edmonds-based Max Foundation, and Fan is certainly thankful.

The Max Foundation works with leukimia patients worldwide, providing medication and offering support to patients who need it.

"They saved my life," Fan said Oct 22. "My whole family is appreciative."

After he was diagnosed at age 29, the Max Foundation gave him free medication that he otherwise could not have afforded, Fan said. They helped bring light to what was otherwise a dark and depressing situation, he said.

Fan is one of the 15 artists featured in a book called "Colors of Hope: Expressions from cancer survivors around the world" that the Max Foundation published earlier this year.

When Max Foundation was looking for a way to raise its profile here in Edmonds, it asked Fan to paint a mural inside the Aegis of Edmonds, an assisted living and memory care community near Stevens Hospital.

The foundation has operated quitely from Edmonds for 11 years. It helps 19,000 patients annually around the world, officials said.

Fan painted a 17-foot by 7-foot mural titled "Life, Low and Peak" in Aegis' memory care wing. The wing is home to Aegis' most fragile patients, said Nancy Talbott, the activities director.

"These are the forgotten people. These are the people nobody comes to see," Talbott said. "It is just amazing that he hears their story and he comes."

Talbott and Nataliya Semez, the Max Foundation's development director, helped arrange Fan's mural.

"Fan knows what it is like to come back (from a illness) and make a difference," she said. "They all want to give back. That's what they want to do."

(Article taken from The Enterprise Newspaper, dated November 5, 2008)

MAXFAMILY VISIT TO PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY WARD DECEMBER 2008

Dear all my friends,

Apart from organizing workshops to empower patient’s knowledge, MaxFamily, a Malaysian local support group for Chronic Myeloid Leukimia patients, also organizing regular charity ward visit.

Like last year, I would like to invite everyone to join us in this coming community charity project. We are organizing a visit to Pediatric Oncology Ward, Pediatric Institute, Hospital Kuala Lumpur on the 14^th December 2008. The purpose is none other than making every unfortunate kid to have enjoyable moment every second in his/her life.

Therefore we invite everyone who is interested (no obligation) to contribute any form of donation i.e. food, toys, stationeries, etc. For example you can contribute a dozen of biscuits packets or a few ‘not so expensive’ toys or a few boxes of color pencils or even one story book. Your contribution may be small but can be SIGNIFICANT when it is done collectively

We would be very grateful to be able to receive the contributions by 5th Dec 2008.

For further information, you can contact us at:

Dr. Abd Razak abdrazak_muhamad@yahoo.com.

Mei Ching mei.ching.ong@themaxfoundation.org

Fan: savianfan@gmail.com

Wei Meng: wei.meng.ang@themaxfoundation.org

Thank you.

DR ABD RAZAK MUHAMAD

President of MaxFamily, Malaysia.

Note: We would not be able to produce any receipt for your contribution as this is solely a volunteer effort.