You don’t have to fight cancer alone!

On the date I published my journal [Day 0] Cancer on my personal blog post, I was both determined and devastated. My heart was shaking to the point that I cannot fall asleep that night. Will this drug work? How severe the side effects would be? Is my stomach gonna be bleeding to death? Is the rash on my face be way too much that I could not recognize myself anymore?

I had hundreds, infact, thousands of questions going on in my head. Yet, I know this is the battle I cannot avoid!

My journal got lots of attention from friends and media. It was on the Top Stories on Medium on Oct 16th. And the story ended up on the front page of Kenh14 (the Vietnamese version of TMZ) and on many mainstream television in Vietnam. I was in so much pain to pay attention to any of that.

I got thousands of messages from all over the world — some much longer like a blog, some much shorter “I’m coming to see you, babe!” I felt overwhelmed by all the caring and heartfelt messages. Yet, I was too speechless to find any words to say. I feel both angry but happy, both lucky and unlucky! “I’m okay”, I answered — it’s just too hard to describe the feelings to someone who are not in the same shoes.

I remember vividly that day I was standing in my dark room in Saigon and run through a series of questions

- Cancer? Out of everyone, how on earth did I even get cancer?!

- What would be the normal reaction for any normal human being to this?

- Should I cry?

- And why should I cry?

That feeling was just weird, rather than sad or angry. I tried to compared it with all of the feeling I’ve been experienced: the first time I fell in love, the first time I got cheated on, the first time I got rejected to my dream college, the first time I fell of the mountain by myself, the first time I got into a car accident, the first time I lost my closest friend. It was none of that — not even close! I did not cry in any of those, and I could not cry when I face the fact that I am gonna die because of cancer either. Everyone will die someday!

And perhaps …

Only those entrepreneurs who shut down their companies, accepted their failure can truly understand the meaning of entrepreneurship

Only those cancer survivors who are fighting days and nights to keep their lives can truly understand the meaning of lives

But …

The journey doesn’t have to be lonely!

I didn’t fight my cancer journey alone, and I hope no one would have to. And with that simple wish, I built Salt Cancer Initiative with my friends in the past 20 days. With this initiative, we have 2 main goals: information and mental supports

CANCER LIBRARY

• Together with 100 medical students and doctors volunteers in Vietnam, we’re working relentless to build out the cancer library for Vietnamese cancer patients. We’re seeking the collaboration with all hospital and clinics in Vietnam to deliver these information booklet to the hands of cancer patients at the right time.
• There are hundred of cancer support programs from different non-profit organization and corporate throughout the year in Vietnam. With the support from the awesome team of engineers and designers from Japan, US, and Vietnam, we’re building the Salt Cancer Initiative website to be the main portal for all cancer support programs. The next cancer patient in Vietnam would only need to go to one website to get all the supports they need.

QUALITY OF LIFE

SCI connected with companies and organizations in Vietnam to create support programs for cancer patients.

• Elite Fitness starts the yoga class for cancer patients weekly
• NeoKids starts the piano class for cancer patients weekly
• Uber support cancer patients with Uber credits monthly
• Triip offers free travel credit montly for cancer patients to visit new places

I was not strong, I just could not cry because I could not find the reasons for my tears to drop. Should I cry because my fear of death or should I cry because I should have more time to enjoy life? None of that worth being sad for.

I’ve worked and enjoyed the most in the past 30 years of my life. I’ve traveled to most of the places I wanted, I’ve done some of most amazing projects that I could think of, I fell in love truly, deeply, and madly.

If I have 3 months, 3 years, or 30 years to live next, it would make no difference. I would still building stuffs that I like, love the people with my whole-heart, and travel more places to see the world.

Today, I turn 31. I’m not sure how many more birthday I have left, but it’s no longer important — because Dec 16, 2016 is the birthday of Salt Cancer Initiative

Rosemead, Dec 16th, 2016