My mother experienced stomach bloating and severe constipation in late 2021. She visited the general practitioner (GP) who sent her to the emergency department for investigation. At first, they suspected kidney stones, but when the discomfort persisted, the GP suggested a further scan, which revealed a tumour. She was then diagnosed with stage four kidney cancer.The news came as a huge shock to Mum. She had in fact survived breast cancer just about a year ago after undergoing treatment. She went back to work after her recovery, thinking that it would be the last she would hear of cancer.Before Mum fell ill, she lived a simple but full life. She worked as a clinic assistant and, being a hardworking and detail-oriented person, the work suited her well. Because of her friendly nature, she was well-liked by patients at the clinic.Outside of work, Mum and I often spent time together. She was very encouraging of my interests in baking and pastry-making. Whenever I did any baking, she would help me in the kitchen. Together, we would make egg tarts, and ham and cheese buns. Another interest that Mum and I had in common was Korean dramas. We especially like the Running Man series. She would even follow me to fan-meets to meet our favourite K-drama stars.Mum also loved animals. We reared pets like fish, birds, tortoises, and hamsters at home. There was a community cat in our neighbourhood that I was especially fond of, and Mum would go downstairs to feed it daily.We discovered that Mum had a real talent in art after she fell ill. To take her mind off her condition, she picked up drawing on her own from watching videos and tutorials on YouTube and Facebook. One of her favourite things to draw was, of course, animals. Her artwork was so good that the staff at Outram Community Hospital (OCH) would display them on the community board. When my mum was at OCH, I would visit her daily after work with her favourite food like tau suan. We would talk about my work and she would offer me advice and encouragement.Although Mum is no longer with us, she has left me with warm memories of her, her artwork and joyful holiday snapshots of us together. I am proud of Mum, and I know that all she wanted was for me to be happy.Recounted by Ms Low Hwee Ying, daughter of the late Mdm Wong Yin Khay.
Another important contribution Mdm Wong provided was ideas for our collection of photo cards. She also shared personalised drawings that we can use to facilitate and enrich conversations with other patients."
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