Media Releases

• Siblings, who were beneficiaries, return to mentor other children in Camp Simba’s new peer mentorship programme
• In its 11^th year, initiative led by students from Duke-NUS Medical School and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine touches the lives of children from cancer-stricken families

Singapore, 20 June 2019 – Siblings Phyllis Wang 18, and Nicklaus Wang 16, who have attended Camp Simba since 2018, an annual camp for children living with family members diagnosed with cancer and led by students from Duke-NUS Medical School and NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, returned to mentor other children. This mentorship programme known as the ‘Simba Siblings’ network saw older beneficiaries trained as facilitators for the younger children and was implemented this year in the spirit of promoting leadership and giving back to the community. The siblings were trained by a clinical psychologist on how to interact with younger participants.

Phyllis recounted, “When our father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2014, we were very young and struggled to grasp the situation, without guidance on how to manage our emotions. Attending Camp Simba was helpful, as the student organisers were supportive and attentive to our needs. We wanted to impart the same support to the younger children at the camp this time.”

Her brother, Nicklaus, shared similar sentiments. “Being part of the camp over the years has made me a more confident person. Taking time away from home to interact with other children kept our minds off our family’s woes,” he said.

Tan Hong Kwong, first-year MD student at Duke-NUS who oversaw the training process said, “I felt that it was important for student leaders and facilitators to better understand the beneficiaries and be equipped with some skills to help them cope with their emotions. The customised training programme led by a clinical expert was definitely helpful.”

The programme was beneficial to both the participants and student leaders. Vanessa Chong, another first-year MD student at Duke-NUS, who led the camp this year shared her thoughts. “Being involved in Camp Simba has given me better insights on how having family members with cancer impacts children emotionally. This will hopefully make me a better person and doctor in the future,” she said.

A total of 69 children living with family members diagnosed with cancer, participated in Camp Simba, from June 7 to 9, 2019. The theme of this year’s camp - now in its 11^th edition - was A Hero Lies in You, to inspire its young participants to be resilient in the face of trying circumstances. The Breast Cancer Foundation facilitated a sharing session by a caregiver who lost a family member to cancer. Elements of play and a carnival were also woven into the camp and enabled the children to enjoy themselves with their peers and set aside worries of their loved ones’ health.

Encouraging medical students to be part of humanitarian and community-based initiatives and activities is a key feature at Duke-NUS. The school which was established in 2005 as a partnership between two academic institutions with strong track records in research and education combines the unique medical education curriculum at Duke University School of Medicine with the academic rigour and rich resources offered by NUS, to offer students an enriching and innovative medical education experience.

Duke-NUS students also benefit immensely from its partnership with Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), the largest healthcare group in the country. The group, collectively delivers multi-disciplinary care in more than 40 clinical specialties across a large network of hospitals, national speciality centres and polyclinics. Together, Duke-NUS and SingHealth constitute a leading, world-class Academic Medical Centre that delivers the highest levels of patient care, education and research.

For media queries, please contact:
Ms Naseema Banu
Communications
Duke-NUS Medical School
Tel: (+65) 6516 2585 / 9786 2673
Email: naseema@duke-nus.edu.sg