Bond with PRIDE
June – September 2007
Speech by YBhg Datin Azrene Abdullah, Chairman of PRIDE Foundation
Launch of Bond with PRIDE, JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur
15 June 2007
Mengadap Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku Nur Zahirah
Ampun Tuanku
Patik ingin menjunjung kasih ke atas kesudian Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku kerana telah berkenan mencemar duli untuk menyempurnakan upacara pelancaran Bond with PRIDE petang ini. Sesungguhnya keberangkatan Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku memberikan erti yang cukup besar kepada majlis ini. Ampun Tuanku
Patik memohon perkenan Seri Paduka Baginda Tuanku bagi patik melaksanakan majlis ini dalam bahasa Inggeris.
Menjunjung kasih tuanku.
Yang Berbahagia Datin Dr Faridah Nik Hashim, Chairman of Noah Foundation
Yang Berbahagia Puan Sri Poh Choo, Jasa Kita Sdn Bhd
Yang Berbahagia Datin Ramona Suleiman, Energy Day Spa
Royal dignitaries
Tan Sri, Puan Sri, Datuk, Datin
Distinguished guests
And members of the media
Assalamualaikum and a very good afternoon
Introduction
On behalf of PRIDE, I bid you all a warm welcome. Let me begin by extending our gracious appreciation to Her Majesty The Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah for being here today in support of our event.
The Permaisuri gracing this occasion is very meaningful to us at PRIDE, for the cause that we champion and especially, for the breast cancer patients who are present today.
Ladies and gentlemen, the objectives of our projects at PRIDE primarily focus on:
Firstly, Breast Cancer Awareness-for members of the public - as we believe “Early Detection Saves Lives”.
Secondly, to Empower the Breast Cancer Patients through our Feel Good Projects to relay the message that there is Life After Breast Cancer.
Bond with PRIDE is a very special project because it happens to combine both these objectives in one single Programme. Bond with PRIDE is a programme that pairs Donors with a breast cancer patient buddy for a day at the spa for a “feel good” pampering session aimed at enhancing total wellness – of the mind, body and spirit.
As you are aware, PRIDE Foundation was established as a tribute to Datin Paduka Seri Endon’s courageous resilience in battling breast cancer. In selecting programmes at PRIDE, I am careful to choose the projects that speak her voice and honour her memory.
Bond with PRIDE is exactly the type of project that Mama would have given her full support to. To put it simply, Bond with PRIDE embraced the principles that Mama lived by-the very same principles that made her the fighter and the very same principles that in the end, defined her legacy. If I may, I would like to share these few principles with you... In some ways, they are as relevant to those who battle breast cancer as those who simply want to lead the best life they can.
Firstly – Live with intention.
To Mama, clear objectives were very important. When she found out she had breast cancer, she made up her mind that she would Fight, that she would be a Survivor...... And she fought right to the very end. Bond with PRIDE celebrates her message of Mind Empowerment.
Secondly, Walk with Dignity, with Pride.
Mama made it OK to face the public and say “I have Breast Cancer”. She believed that - the more that one carried on leading a normal life, the easier the journey would become. All that was needed was to hold your head high. Granted, there were difficult days but even in her most vulnerable moments, she kept these moments private. In the public eye, you would see only her brave radiant smile.
Bond with PRIDE celebrates the breast cancer patients who are here with us today as they have taken the first step to face their challenge openly.
Thirdly – Appreciate Your Friends.
Mama always enjoyed her friends, they were a source of much of her joys and laugher. Fighting cancer can be a lonely experience. Bond with PRIDE hopes to nurture deep and meaningful friendships-because in the end, it’s the day to day that you have to live through.
Fourthly, Practice wellness.
Time out is very important. Yes, Mama did a lot of meaningful serious work but equally, she never forgot her exercises, her Qi Qong therapy, and her massages. Bond with PRIDE aims to reach survivors with a programme that enhances their total wellness – of the mind, body and spirit.
Fifthly - Do what you Love and do it sincerely.
Everything that Mama embarked were projects close to her heart-the preservation of batik, the revival of the Nyonya Kebaya, and of course touching people through her breast cancer projects. She believed only in doing things sincerely and for the right reasons. Similarly, Bond with PRIDE is not about getting sponsors who contribute money. It is about selecting the Donors who can give their time, their genuine attention. This is a project that requires the commitment of Sincerity and of Empathy.
Sixth - Never Stop Learning
Mama was a naturally curious person. She would subject medical officers to probing questions and she would read up and investigate on subjects that mattered to her. As part of the Bond with PRIDE Programme, we have organized workshops for the participants focusing on health, financial planning, motivation and nutrition. To have knowledge is after all, to be empowered.
And lastly, Live with No Regrets.
There was not one day when Mama let self pity take over. And she never wasted time grieving her fate. She lived each day to the fullest so that she would not regret things undone or words left unsaid especially to the people she loved. Bond with PRIDE celebrates the importance of intimate exchanges and of seizing the day.
Ladies and gentlemen, Bond with PRIDE seeks to celebrate and empower breast cancer patients to embrace these principles. Through these principles, the memory of Datin Paduka Seri Endon continues to inspire us to be better people in honour of her memory.
The Bond with PRIDE book
Each breast cancer patient has a different story to tell. There are 80 participants selected for this Programme – and there are many more stories out there that remain untold
We at PRIDE want these stories to reach a target beyond the audience present today to ensure that the Project becomes even more meaningful. We are certain your bonding stories will have the capacity to touch others and hopefully, empower them in the same way.
We hope to publish the personal stories of your bonding experience in a signature booklet. This is again in keeping with Datin Seri Endon's way of doing things. You would be familiar with her book on Nyonya Kebaya - it remains her written legacy today as it will for the next few generations.
Datin Seri Endon also understood that maybe dealing with breast cancer openly was not for everybody. And that most Malaysian women would still choose to deal with it privately. We want to equally reach these women –and maybe the way to do it is through the written word.
Closing - acknowledgements
In closing, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all our sponsors and participants.
My deepest appreciation goes out to our Main Sponsor, Noah Foundation, for their generous contribution to our Programme. Dr Faridah, was a great friend to Mama-and she provided her much support, joy and laughter throughout her years. Aunty, thank you for continuing to be her friend through PRIDE.
A very big thank you also to our other Main Sponsor, Jasa Kita Berhad, for supporting our programme and our cause. I am very grateful to our Spa Partner, Energy Day Spa, and to the following Spa Sponsors – Kanebo International, Spa Village at Ritz Carlton, Mandara Spa, Jentayu Spa, Vila Manja Spa, Spa Indrani, Martha Tilaar Eastern Rejuvenating Centre and Khareyana Spa.
Thank you also to the staff at the following hospitals who have assisted us in identifying the survivors eligible to participate: Hospital Putrajaya, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre, Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Hospital Kuala Lumpur, and to the following NGOs – National Cancer Society, Breast Cancer Welfare Association, MAKNA and Cancerlink.
I wish every Breast Cancer patient and Donor a fulfilling time as your share your experiences, inspire and be inspired.
Last and not least to my PRIDE team, you have all been an integral part of the organization of this event.
May this be a beginning of lasting friendships as you BOND with PRIDE. I wish you all the best, and may God's blessings be with all of you. Wassalam.
Ampun Tuanku. Demikianlah sahaja sembah ucapan patik pada petang ini. Sekali lagi patik serta seluruh warga PRIDE Foundation dan para penyumbang menjunjung kasih atas keberangkatan Tuanku ke majlis ini. Sekian. Wassalam.
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