The Singapore Students Association , LCS Cancer Outreach and International Club are hosting a week of fundraising events in honor of Vivien Lim, a member of the Class of 2013 who was unable to graduate after being diagnosed in May of 2012 with a rare form of salivary gland cancer. She passed away this this past September.
According to Shan Zhi Thia, the vice president of SSA, Lim studied human factors engineering, but was also extremely interested in design. Thia explained that Lim designed the Class of 2013 banner that now hangs in the Mayer Campus Center.
I only knew her my freshman year, but I remember her being kind [and] willing to listen, Thia, a junior, said. She had this fantastic dark wit and dark humor ... [She] was very stoic and never let it get to her. What she thought about was, Oh, well have to deal with it, and that was a remarkable kind of attitude ... That was the kind of person she was calm and she took it very well, and she was a fighter all the way to the end.
Thia explained that after Lims death, her mother started a giving page for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the hospital that treated Lim throughout her ordeal.
Her form of cancer is incredibly rare, so there isnt a standard form of treatment, Thia said. The fund was started [and] it goes toward the larger fund that is geared toward research for this form of cancer ... Last semester, ... we [decided] to help spread the word.
Andrew Nitirouth, a coordinator for Cancer Outreach, explained that the organization was contacted by SSA and agreed to help. Last weekend, the groups hosted a hair donation event where 12 students had their hair cut and donated to cancer patients.
Our general mission is to get people to do fundraising events and outreach events for anything that pertains to cancer locally, Nitirouth, a sophomore, said. Even though we didnt know her personally, we still thought it would be cool to support her [because] she was a part of our community and people should know who she was.
Thia explained that students have raised over $1000 for her research fund through drink sales, sticker sales and donations. He said that the week will culminate in the annual Parade of Nations event, hosted by the International Club, where $2 from every $3 ticket will go to the cancer fund.
Were very happy at the efforts and the support weve gotten so far from faculty, staff and students it has been amazing, Thia said. In the end, its just something thats good for us to have just to remember Vivien, so that we dont forget we did lose a member of our community this year.
