Supported by Many, Yet also on His Own

by K. Douglas Erdmann, President/DEO, REI HQ

James and Siling Ong with their youngest daughter

He seemed tired. Almost sluggish. James Ong, our new REI Singapore Director, and I were having one of our periodic catch-up Zoom calls last May. With the 14-hour time zone difference between Colorado and Singapore, it was late Thursday night for James. I suggested we finish the call the next week, allowing him to rest up over the weekend.

On Monday following the weekend, James’ wife Siling called me with the shocking news that James had gone to the hospital that day and the doctors had discovered a tumor in his brain.

That began a saga for James, Siling and their four young children that continues until today.

James immediately shifted from running REI Singapore to dealing with this medical challenge.  Surgery was scheduled a few days following, which resulted in 80% of the tumor being removed. Medications and two 1½-hour sessions each day in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber began soon thereafter. 

James and his family leaving the hospital after his brain tumor surgery

Fortunately, the tumor was determined to be benign, but to prevent what was left from growing more, traditional radiation or proton beam radiation was recommended. The latter is preferred as it is less damaging to surrounding tissue, but because it is new, James needed approval from a tumor board, an ethics board and the Ministry of Health in Singapore, and agreement from his insurance company to pay for it. Thankfully, the approvals were received, and the agreement was secured, and James is now in the middle of once-per-day six-week “proton blast” that will last until the end of this month.

But James will not be “out of the woods” even after his radiation therapy. In the course of assessment of the brain tumor, another tumor was discovered lodged between his heart and his lungs. Whether this tumor is cancerous or benign is not known. Because of its location, open chest surgery is needed, which is scheduled for November both to remove and assess it.

Throughout this saga Siling has done an amazing job running their household and caring for their children. Fortunately, many relatives and friends have rallied to support them. Additionally, people around the world have started a group that prays for them regularly.

Recently, James wrote this to the prayer group:

James greeting his REI colleagues from one of his twice/day hyperbaric oxygen chamber therapy sessions

“It has been an emotionally challenging journey, especially on days when pain and headaches come for no apparent reason. The journey ahead still seems long and daunting.  There haven’t been many times in life when I’ve felt this way. I told Siling my time in Officer Candidate School was the closest perhaps. I struggle with the intensity of everything, enduring the long, drawn-out months of an abnormal routine, and feeling the loneliness of bearing a particular burden that is yours to carry alone even when surrounded by many.”

How true for all of us. We each face challenges. To overcome them, both personal courage and the support of others is needed. REI staff and volunteers support many courageous locals facing challenges in emerging countries around the world. And we trust that James will soon be fully recovered so that he can continue to recruit, train and send many Singaporeans to help us bring that support.