Lae, Easter Sunday, 2025 – In one of the side rooms of the Cancer Ward at Angau Memorial Hospital in Lae, a husband and wife sit quietly together, as they have done for months now. There’s a sense of stillness, but beneath it all is a story of pain, love, prayer, and the fight for life.

This is the story of Chan Kaki, 35, a journalist whose voice once carried stories across the country. And this is also the story of Betty, his wife, whose strength and faith have never wavered.

Their Easter Sunday wasn’t marked by feasting or celebration. It was marked by gratitude — because Chan is still alive.

A Journalist’s Calling

Before cancer, Chan was just like many of us in the media — chasing stories, filing reports, speaking truth to power. He came up through the local paper circuit and eventually took up a government media officer post.

He loved what he did.

“I grew up reading the papers,” Chan said. “Those stories shaped how I saw the world. I wanted to be part of that.”

But everything changed in September 2024, when Chan received a diagnosis that hit like a thunderclap: tongue cancer.

“For someone whose whole life depended on his voice,” Betty said, “it felt like a cruel joke.”

“We Had Nothing—But We Had Faith”

The news sent shockwaves through their family. Betty immediately took leave from her job and moved to Lae. She became his full-time carer — cook, nurse, and prayer warrior.

“There was no question,” she said. “I had to be with him. That’s what marriage means.”

They had no savings. Treatment was expensive. The cost of travel, tests, and medicine piled up. But they prayed — and people responded. Strangers gave. Friends organised small fundraisers. A community quietly rose to lift them.

“We had nothing,” Betty said. “But we had faith. And somehow, that was enough.”

The Night That Nearly Took Him

One night in March, Betty woke to find Chan bleeding heavily. They were staying with relatives at the time, but only she and their youngest daughter were home.

“I was pressing down on his mouth, trying to stop the bleeding,” she said. “I didn’t sleep that night. I just prayed.”

By morning, Chan was unconscious. She rushed him to Angau’s Emergency Unit.

Doctors told her he was gone—his blood count had dropped to 3.9. He had no oxygen. No pulse.

But something happened.

“God had a pen and paper,” Chan says quietly now. “He rewrote my story.”

Radiation and Resurrection

After that, things moved quickly. Chan started radiation therapy on 17 March 2025.

It was painful — he could barely eat or speak. But every morning, Betty walked him across the hospital yard. Every night, she kept watch by his bed. Seven nights without sleep, just praying.

And then, slowly, things started turning.

“The bleeding stopped,” she said. “He started eating again. The pain went down.”

Bit by bit, the man who had once been declared dead was coming back to life.

“They Treated Me Like Family”

Chan speaks with quiet emotion about the Angau cancer staff — the doctors, nurses, radiation team.

“They didn’t just do their jobs,” he said. “They treated me like family. They stood by me when I couldn’t stand.”

He remembers the faces, the kind words, the small mercies. They didn’t have much, but they had compassion — and in the Cancer Ward, that makes all the difference.

“Every day I saw people worse off than me still fighting,” he said. “So I kept fighting, too.”

The Ones Waiting at Home

Back in Port Moresby, life goes on for their children.

Jemat, 15, is in Grade 9 at Marianville Secondary. Nathan, 10, is in Grade 5. And Sandra, just 6, has been with them in Lae.

“She holds his hand,” Betty said. “She brings him water. She makes us laugh when things are hard.”

They’re just kids. But they’ve seen more pain — and more love — than most grown-ups ever will.

What Cancer Taught Them

When asked what this journey has taught him, Chan pauses.

“I’ve learned that you can lose everything and still be rich,” he says. “I’ve learned that faith is real. And I’ve learned that love — real love — is what keeps you alive.”

Betty nods. She’s heard it all before. But she never gets tired of hearing it again.

A Simple Message

To those going through the same valley, Chan has a message:

“Don’t give up. Don’t stop believing. There is medicine, yes. But more than that, there is faith. There is love. There are people who will stand by you. Hold on to that.”

Easter Reflections

On Easter Sunday, they didn’t go to church. The Cancer Ward was their chapel. Betty held his hand, and they gave thanks.

“To everyone who prayed for us, donated to us, encouraged us — we see you. We thank you. May God bless you back.”

The Fight Continues

Chan’s treatment isn’t over. There are still scans, tests, reviews. But he can talk again. He can smile. He can tell his story.

And Betty is still by his side — holding his hand, carrying his files, praying every night.

“We came into this with faith,” she says. “And with faith, we’ll finish it.”

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PS: If you can help in any little way, here are Chan’s account details:

Account Name: Chan Kaki

Account Number: 1012036461

Bank: BSP

Branch: Waigani Banking Centre

Contact details: Mobile and WhatsApp number is 74690498 and email is chankaki35@gmail.com