She chose to put on a smile and did what she could for the family.
When something bad happens to us, it’s easy to dish out complaints while feeling like the world owes us. Some others, however, are propelled into such situations all of a sudden, while carrying the weight of others. They have it worse, such as dealing with a spouse with cancer, but still take it all in like a pro.
Like this inspiring Singapore mum, Joanne, who has yet to give up despite facing obstacles sent her way.
Dealing with a Spouse with Cancer: Making Ends Meet
Undefeatable, and like what her shirt says, “KEEP ON MOVIN'” | Picture: Facebook/Cynthia Chew
Joanne is a mother of two school-going children. She also shoulders the heavy weight of having to support her husband, who suffers from Stage 4 cancer — diagnosed two years ago.
Joanne also suffers from a heart condition, and hence can’t work.
But instead of wallowing in self-pity, Joanne makes things happen for her family through dignified hard work — baking homemade cookies and selling them to the public.
An Act of Kindness Leads to a Good Cause
Alongside Joanne in her venture to earn a small living from her Serangoon home is Cynthia Chew, who helps to sell these cookies.
A mum of two kids herself, Cynthia has reached out to the public to help ease Joanne’s situation. She shared two Facebook posts featuring Joanne and her cookies on September 2 and September 7.
“Father has stage 4 cancer while mother has a heart condition condition hence unable to find a job and 2 school-going kids. But she’s not giving up and so she has started to bake using premium ingredients that are on a healthier option,” writes Cynthia.
Definitely, #cookiesforacause, according to Cynthia.
The money Joanne earns from these cookies mainly goes towards footing her husband’s medical bills and cancer medication.
Despite financial challenges, Joanne never compromises on the quality of ingredients used, even if that means that she would earn significantly less; she chooses premium ingredients with a healthier option.
She wants to ensure that she is “feeding people with good snacks”.
These fragrant unsalted macadamia nut and dark chocolate chip cookies (200g) costs $12 a tub. | Picture: Facebook/Cynthia Chew
It is said that Joanne’s homemade macadamia nut and dark chocolate chip cookies are better than most commercially available cookies in the market. Besides, they do not contain preservatives.
Outpouring of Love and Support
Many Facebook users have responded to Cynthia’s posts and left private messages to order Joanne’s cookies — Cynthia is the one who manages their sale.
For Cynthia, it seems that the support for Joanne has gotten a little out of hand. The post below tells it all:
It’s heartwarming to find that other than just supporting Joanne’s initiative, some have even offered to go beyond that.
Eden Eng suggested an alternative to donating directly to Joanne, instead of ordering cookies. He also expressed his interest to help out.
Lina Wang shared similar sentiments as well, wanting to help the family directly.
And, more individuals stepped up to offer their assistance in different ways!
Like Joean Ang’s comment where she tagged her friend, Rachel Ong.
That’s quite inspiring, isn’t it?
Dealing with a spouse with cancer is not easy, but the unwavering support she has received has made Joanne’s life a lot easier. She is deeply grateful to all of those who have come forward to help her.
How You Can Help
If you would like to show some support for Joanne’s family, pre-Christmas orders are now open!
Each bottle is priced at $12 but for orders of 10 and above, you can request for a different flavour such as double chocolate chip, or chocolate chip and hazelnut — though Cynthia recommends going with the original flavour.
All you need to do is send Cynthia a private message on Facebook or email [email protected].
And it’s self-collection at her place in Serangoon Ave 4 only.
Also READ: Singapore dad shares his grief after he loses his baby to heart failure