‘Just treat them with a calm mind’—Head chef of a Michelin stir-fried stall continues to work despite fighting cancer

SINGAPORE: The head chef of a Michelin Bib Gourmand-recommended stir-fry stall continued working at his post even after being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. After being discharged from the hospital and undergoing chemotherapy, he worked half a day each day until he successfully beat the illness with his new lifestyle and increased exercise.

The 63-year-old head chef of the stir-fry stall, located in Yishun, shared his experience before his diagnosis in an interview. He admitted that he had been suffering from back pain for six months and that painkillers wouldn’t relieve the pain. During Christmas last year, he suddenly experienced unbearable pain that made it difficult to even walk. After the doctors’ examination, he was diagnosed with cancer.

The doctor then recommended surgery, but he opted for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He gave himself three months to see how he would react to the treatments and believed that he would get better.

For the first two months of his treatment, he was unable to move. His condition improved while receiving daily radiotherapy. Due to his illness, his weight dropped from 76 kg to 50 kg, but now he is gradually recovering to 60 kg.

After being discharged, he returned to his stall right away and continued working while undergoing chemotherapy every three weeks. Despite his daughters’ pleas for him to rest, he refused to stop.

However, he adopted a healthier routine—he now gets up at 1:30 a.m. every day to ride his bicycle to the stall, and when he arrives, he first goes to a nearby park to exercise for an hour and a half before opening the stall.

The stall owner admitted he had never exercised before and realised, through his diagnosis, the importance of his health. He also stopped drinking and reduced the number of times he smokes.

Fortunately, he overcame his illness after 20 rounds of radiotherapy and six rounds of chemotherapy. He admitted that he had been depressed when he learned about his illness, but later understood that he should face it with a normal mindset.

“Have confidence in yourself and a strong will. Believe that you will get better every day,” the stall owner declared.

He concluded: “Take things lightly and don’t dwell on them. Just treat them with a calm mind.”

For a comprehensive range of clinical services for cancer, one may visit the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) website for further assessment and help.