Our Stories
Our First Patient – Sarawak, East Malaysia
Where it all began
The Dreamin Foundation’s story began with a young man from Sarawak, East Malaysia and one surgeon’s determination to change his life.
For more than 30 years, this man had lived apart from his community, ostracised and hidden away because of a large facial tumour that left him disfigured and in constant pain. In many rural areas of Malaysia, visible illness or disability carries deep stigma. He had become a recluse, separated from the world around him.
A call to compassion
When his story reached Professor Suren Krishnan, then a consultant at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and member of the Rotary Club of Prospect Inc., he saw more than a medical case, he saw a man who had lost his dignity. The operation needed was complex, requiring major reconstructive surgery and months of recovery. The hospital agreed to perform the procedure, but funds were needed to cover travel, logistics, and accommodation.
Suren reached out to his Rotary colleagues for help. What followed was a remarkable outpouring of generosity. Rotary clubs across South Australia united to raise the money needed, each donation representing a shared belief that one life was worth saving.
A life restored
With funding secured, the patient was flown to Adelaide. A team of reconstructive and plastic surgeons volunteered their expertise, performing intricate surgery to rebuild his facial structure. It was long, technical work, but for the team it was more than medicine, it was humanity in action.
When he returned home, the man was welcomed by his entire community. Local media covered his story, celebrating the courage of both patient and doctors. In his hometown, they held a festival in his honour — a symbol of restoration, not just of one face, but of dignity and belonging.
The beginning of something bigger
That single operation inspired a movement. The success of the case showed what was possible when compassion, expertise, and community came together. From that moment, Suren and his colleagues established what became the DREAMIN Foundation (Dean Richards Endeavour to Assist the Medically Ill and Needy), with the hope that this kind of help would never rely on chance again.
“We saw how one patient’s story could change hundreds of lives. It showed us that medicine, when combined with kindness, becomes something far more powerful.”
— Professor Suren Krishnan
