A Midsummer Night’s Dream

January 13, 2015
By: Soraya Liu

At last, the moment has finally come for me to sit myself down, and to think over what I’ve been through in the past year. It’s a long debriefing process, for it was a long story. Time always goes by slower in these situations. When I came out, I was so busy getting my life back to normal I forgot the speed with which time usually flies. So here I am, a year later, in a midsummer night, thinking about the journey in 2012 and my miraculous survival, which wouldn’t have been possible without your support. It feels like a dream…

I would sleep a lot, and still be drowsy when I woke up. I felt neither hunger nor thirst, but the sight and smell of the cakes presented every Tuesday delighted me. There was music playing, joyful country or soothing classical, constantly accompanied by the beeping sound of the monitors. I would try to sing but no voice came out. To compensate, I would point my fingers and the piano would sing in my place. There were flowers in the room, with teddy bears, balloons, mangas, books, keychains and gift cards. I would gaze at them many times a day, with a smile reaching beyond the face and into the heart. Sometimes I would walk up and down the corridor, or up and down the hill, alongside pretty girls and boys. The colours of my scarves and fingernails would paint a rainbow in the summer sky. I would doze off mid-day, with or without company. Some of them would enjoy the meals that were prepared, while others the company of each other. My loved ones would tuck me in, and guardian angels would take turns watching over me during the night…

That was my dream. Or was it my reality?

Of course, like most dreams, a lot of details are missed in the description, but I try to identify as many of you as I can. Some played bigger parts than others, but whether you were Titania, Puck, or just a fairy in the woods, you and many others were part of my midsummer night’s dream. So as the curtain falls gradually, I sincerely thank you and applaud for your presence throughout…

Soraya Liu was diagnosed with nasal-pharyngeal cancer in 2012 while in university. She underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments over a period of 6 months, during which she lost her hair and her voice, her neck was burnt, and she had to be fed through a PEG tube in the stomach. She was admitted to and discharged from the hospital 7 times, including once in the Intensive Care Unit. She is currently in remission and doing research in Japan. She wrote this article on the night of July 16th 2013, in gratitude towards the many friends, family members and healthcare providers for their support during treatment.