‘Impermanent blossom’ – Touching memoir by a cancer patient

Memoir ‘Impermanent blossom’ has been published recently (Photo: Vietnam+)

Hanoi (VNA) - Journalist Tran Thi Cam Bao, who has spent 7 years fighting the breast cancer, launched her book  titled ‘Impermanent blossom.’

The book release ceremony took place on June 8 within a cozy atmosphere at Hanoi Oncology Hospital, where she has been receiving cancer treatment.

The one-hour ceremony has left deep impressions in participants as it was filled with both tears and smiles.

Despite her health condition, journalist Tran Thi Cam Bao said she was the happiest person in the world as she has found a lot of happy things amid pains and sufferings during her fight against cancer.

Speaking at the ceremony, journalist Cam Bao said, “Though my door closes in this life, my door for soul will still remain opened afterward”.

She voiced her hope that cancer patients would try to live happily and willingly undergo treatment instead of being desperate. For those who do not suffer from cancer, she advised them to look after their health and do frequent cancer screening.

Cam Bao poses for souvenir photos in her book release ceremony (Photo: Vietnam+)

The memoir’s title ‘Impermanent blossom’ is inspired by a song of the renowned late musician Trinh Cong Son. She said the book was no big words. “I write it for my daughter Cam Anh”, Cam Bao said.

Due to her health condition, she only has one hour for the book release ceremony. Until the ceremony ended, she could not believe that she had made it as she still had had to use painkillers to sit up days earlier.

Her life journey since being diagnosed with breast cancer has inspired a lot of people. She has bravely fought against the disease for seven years with 72 chemotherapies.

“The book is no big words. I write it for my daughter Cam Anh as a gift for her. I know our love for each other will still be the same no matter what. I want Cam Anh to continue being a good person and doing more little good deeds. I hope she will help me carry on my charity journey”, said Cam Bao (Photo: Vietnam+)

Cam Bao was thunderstruck by invasive breast cancer diagnosis in 2012. At that time, doctors said she had only two to three years more to live. However, her fight against the disease has been seven years till now. During the time, she hosted numerous charity activities in order to inspire other patients.

In the beginning of 2019, her health has been seriously degraded, forcing her to halt all charity works. Sensing her own health condition, she asked a writer, Hoang Thi Dieu Thuan, to write down her fight against cancer into a memoir before her journey to the other world.

Hoang Thi Dieu Thuan (1987), the writer behind those words in Cam Bao’s memoir is also a young woman with cancer.

Journalist Tran Thi Cam Bao said ‘Impermanent blossom’ was a gift of smiles and joys to readers before she left for the last train of her life. “When the day comes, I want you to bid me a farewell with bright smiles”, Cam Bao said.

The memoir “Impermanent blossom” is 145 pages long. Cam Bao expects to use profit from book selling in community activities.

Journalist Tran Thi Cam Bao (born in 1974) is deputy head of secretariat department of Tri thuc & Cong nghe (Knowledge & Technology) editorial office. She is the founder of Hoa Uu Dam – For Cancer Patient Charity Club.

Her advices to cancer patients to stay healthy is firstly keeping an optimistic spirit and not thinking much about the disease.

Secondly, cancer sufferers should exercise or play sports regularly. Thirdly, they should follow strictly the doctor’s treatment programme.

According to statistics from K Hospital (Hanoi-based Cancer Hospital), cancer kills 115,000 Vietnamese people annually, or over 300 per day, and 165,000 new cancer patients are detected annually.

Over 300,000 Vietnamese people are now living with cancer, making Vietnam one of the countries with a high rate of cancer patients.

Most cancer cases can be cured if patients are detected early, treated promptly and properly. However, in fact, most cancer patients in Vietnam are treated in the late stage, resulting in low survival rate.-VNA