Student overcame leukaemia to score in O-Levels

Ong Kai Le remembered constantly switching his posture — sometimes even lying on his front or back — while revising for his GCE O-Level examinations last year.

This was not because the 17-year-old was restless or bored of the subject he was studying, but a result of multiple injections in his spine that left him numb and in pain if he sat upright for more than five minutes.

Kai Le was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2007 when he was in Primary Five. He had to undergo painful chemotherapy and radiation treatment, which caused him to miss school for two-and-a-half years.

Yesterday, Kai Le was one of nine students recognised at Bowen Secondary School for demonstrating exemplary character and outstanding personal qualities through their behaviour and actions, as the O-Level examination results were released. The student in the Express stream scored a total of 15 points at the national examination, surpassing his preliminary examination result by a point.

Compared to the O-Levels, Kai Le said preparing for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) was tougher as he had to start afresh in a new environment, being in a class with younger classmates.

“I will never forget preparing for the PSLE … it was the toughest time in my life,” he told TODAY.

Even though his leukaemia was in steady remission when he was in Secondary 1, the after-effects of headaches and nausea persisted. Kai Le, however, stayed positive, even participating in sports activities such as a cross-country race when he was in Sec 3 after his condition improved.

While there were times when Kai Le fell sick when he was in Sec 4, it did not hinder him from attending lessons. “He is a resilient boy who was rarely absent and handed in his work on time despite his condition,” said Mr Ng Wah Kian, Kai Le’s form teacher.

Kai Le told TODAY his friends and teachers always showed him concern and encouraged him, but he declined an extension for his examinations when teachers offered it to him. “I didn’t want to be treated specially. I wanted to go through it the same way as my friends,” Kai Le said. TIARA HAMARIAN