Meet siblings Reuel and Asher Rajah. Reuel is 19 while Asher is two years younger.
The brothers recently aced in their International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examination.
Reuel scored 4As for Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Mathematics, 1B for Additional Mathematics as well as an A for the GCE O-Level English Language paper.
Asher got 7As for Accounting, Business Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Additional Mathematics as well as an A for the GCE O-Level English Language paper.
But their story is one of sacrifice and life saving.
Reuel was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 2008 and suffered a relapse in 2012. He urgently needed a perfect match for stem cell transplant to save his life.
And it was Asher offered the transplant without thinking twice.
“Our prayers were answered when doctors found the perfect match for the transplant in Asher.
“Without much thought, Asher agreed to the surgery,” their father Assoc Prof Dr Andrew Rajah, 52, of Universiti Sains Malaysia, was reported as saying in The Star.
As a result of his younger brother’s offer, Reuel managed to beat cancer twice, and excelled in his studies.
The boy lost the sight in his right eye after the relapse in 2012, and took a two-year break from school to fully recover and resumed studies in 2014.
Reuel wants to be an archaeologist, while Asher’s ambition is to be a scientist or an engineer.
Reuel enjoys photography and has a knack for origami art, and said he loves challenges and wants to try out new things.
“I am not that studious but I do pay attention in class.
“I suppose we should not only follow our heart, but must also follow our mind to be successful in life,” he said.
Asher meanwhile loves playing the guitar and solving the Rubik’s Cube.
These boys are surely an inspiration to their younger brother Joses Ethan, 13, as well as to everyone else.
