Our Story

Introduction

We (Kian Leong and Su Foong) are a couple from Malaysia who moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand with our kids, Seth and Sarah, to do social work in 2006. We have lived here ever since after starting the Living Waters Home eleven years ago. It has been a long journey of many ups, downs, and lessons learned, but we are truly blessed to be able to help and get to know the many wonderful patients and caregivers that have passed through our doors.

Our desire when we started the foundation was to meet the basic need for shelter amongst outpatients. After starting the home, we realized that there were so many other needs that we were not aware of. Needs such as financial struggles, the lack of emotional support, and the absence of health literacy were revealed to us as we spent time with our occupants. Everyone has different needs, and we are here to meet them to the best of our ability. Compassion and grace are to be shown to everyone who walks through our doors.

The Vision

It used to be common to see caregivers and patients sleeping along the hallways and outside of Chiang Mai’s hospitals. Cancer patients come from all over North Thailand to seek treatment at Chiang Mai’s well-equipped regional hospital.

Since their treatments often range between one to three months, they need to find a temporary place to stay. Unfortunately, most of these patients are impoverished farmers and cannot afford accommodation, much less their expensive treatments. Most resort to sleeping along the hallways and outside the hospital while awaiting treatment.

This was the scene we encountered while visiting a friend at the government hospital in Chiang Mai, and it was there where we saw the need for a clean and safe space for outpatients to rest.

The Beginnings

Although we did not have the funds, we started scouting the area for a suitable home within walking distance from the largest government hospital in Chiang Mai. We found an old traditional Thai-style home only 800 meters away. It had six rooms, two bathrooms, and a community kitchen, for rent for 7000 Thai Baht a month (220 USD). We were barely getting by financially at the time and it seemed impossible for us to meet the need. One day, a random tourist from South Africa watched a random vlog on Youtube that one of our friends filmed while visiting us in Chiang Mai. In the description of the video was our number, so he called us. Initially we ignored him as he was a stranger, but he persisted till we agree to meet him. He came to Chiang Mai and gave us a gift of 100 British Pounds, saying that after praying, he felt compelled by God to give us the money. At the time, 100 GBP was worth exactly 7000 Thai Baht, so we took it as a sign from God to start the home.

With the seed money, we started the Living Waters Home in 2009. We partnered with Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital (Suan Dok)’s social welfare department to ensure that the right people are getting the help they need. We also worked with several Thai oncologists to ensure that the cancer patients are getting the essential nutrients needed to sustain them through their rigorous treatments.