CANCER PATIENT'S DREAM OF SEEING TWIN TOWERS COMES TRUE

KUALA LUMPUR, 27 April (Bernama) -- From Jeli to KLCC, it still feels like a dream come true for Siti Zubaidah Zulkefli, a 17-year-old femur cancer patient from Kelantan, as she finally had the chance to see and step foot on the Petronas Twin Towers today.

Siti Zubaidah's dream of seeing the world's tallest twin towers, a dream she had since she was 10, became a reality through the Petronas 50 Dreams programme. This initiative by the country's oil and gas company fulfills 50 dreams of individuals in need every festive season.

While other girls her age might dream of travelling abroad, for Siti Zubaidah, seeing the 451-metre-tall towers, which are a source of pride for the country, was more than enough to bring her joy. This experience also served as a source of strength in her ongoing two-year battle against cancer.

Accompanied by her aunt and uncle, Inon Ahmat, 51, and Zakaria Sulaiman, 60, as well as two cousins, Siti Zubaidah arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. They were graciously provided with a night's stay and dinner at a five-star hotel in KLCC.

The ‘first-class service’ provided by Petronas was considered the most precious gift in Siti Zubaidah's life as they were also given the opportunity to visit Aquaria KLCC, SURIA KLCC, and the Observation Deck on the 86th floor of the tower, with all expenses covered by Petronas.

During her visit to the KLCC tower, which has stood tall since 1999, Siti Zubaidah was in awe of the building's architecture  and couldn't resist capturing memories with the new mobile phone she received as a gift from Petronas.

"Alhamdulillah, I can't describe how happy I feel. I've always dreamed of visiting the KLCC since I was a child, but I knew it was beyond our means because my uncle works as a rubber tapper," she shared with Bernama.

Due to stage two bone cancer, Siti Zubaidah had to undergo frequent follow-up examinations at Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) Kubang Kerian and as a result, her schooling had to be put on hold for over a year.

Despite her illness, Siti Zubaidah, who has a passion for Science and Mathematics, is determined to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinstions this year with the goal of achieving 6As. Additionally, she plans to pursue her studies in technical studies at Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

"Initially, I wanted to become a doctor, but since I missed out on studying science due to my delayed education, I might focus on technical studies after SPM," she said.

Meanwhile, Siti Zubaidah's aunt, Inon, couldn't hold back her tears of joy at seeing her niece's dream finally come true.

Inon said she had been taking care of her niece since she was five months old, after her biological mother died from liver cancer.

She described Siti Zubaidah as having an incredible fighting spirit. Despite her chemotherapy sessions preventing her from attending school, she diligently studies every night, driven by her determination to succeed.

-- BERNAMA