Where hope shines brighter: leuan's journey to healing in Singapore

Far from home, a Filipino family found not only advanced treatment — but a community of care that reminded them hope can shine even in life's hardest moments.

- By KATHERINE L. MAGSANOC

Dr. Lee Kuo Ann (left) with seven-year-old patient Ieuan Magat and his mother at the Proton Beam Therapy Centre in Singapore.

When Roda Shayne Magat arrived in Singapore with her seven-year-old son, leuan, last August, she was tired but hopeful.

After years of hospital visits and waiting lines in Manila, she finally felt that their prayers were being answered. From the moment they landed, everything was ready — the hotel, the transfers, the schedules.

“God is so good,” Magat said with a smile. “Lahat plantsado na.”

It was the first time in a long while that things felt certain. For a mother who had spent years worrying about her son’s fragile health, being in Singapore for treatment felt like stepping into a new chapter — one filled with calm, structure, and hope.

Ieuan’s story began when he was just four years old.

What first seemed like minor vision issues led to a devastating diagnosis: a rare brain tumor called craniopharyngioma. By then, he had already lost sight in his right eye.

“Pero nakakakita pa siya sa left,” Magat said softly. She clung to that one remaining light while searching endlessly online for possible cures.

In 2024, she read about Proton Beam Therapy, an advanced type of radiation treatment that could target tumors precisely without harming healthy tissues. It was a breakthrough that sounded like an answered prayer — but there was one problem.

“Wala pong Proton Beam Therapy sa Philippines,” Magat said. “Kaya nag-email ako sa lahat ng hospital na meron.”

Only one replied — Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital in Singapore.

That single response set everything in motion.

“He tolerated treatment very well,” Dr. Lee said. “He was brave, cheerful, and full of curiosity — even when facing something so difficult at such a young age.”