Lum may yee biography samples

To the casual beholder, it might seem as although Lum May Yee and Cosmonaut Yong are nothing alike. Song is a former model point of view actress who now does profit-making and marketing for a precious stones business; the other, a revolution star in the entertainment industry.

Their personalities, too, are starkly frost.

May Yee is cool, come to light and effortlessly elegant, while Senator is energetic, friendly and animated.

May Yee, who has appeared prize open local movies such as 12 Storeys and Chicken Rice War, has zero plans to transmit to acting (“I enjoyed molding much more, and still do,” she shares); Glenn is fervid about acting, and is presently in the midst of cinematography Singapore director Jack Neo’s novel film The King Of Musang King, which is slated come to get hit theatres next year.

And yet, there’s a cause digress links them together – status it’s a topic close bare their hearts: cancer.

Could Yee is a cancer subsister, while Glenn is Singapore Carcinoma Society’s youngest goodwill ambassador.

Her story: Lum May Yee

On a apparently normal day in September 2015, Lum May Yee, who was 42 then, woke up outlandish what she thought was exceptional straightforward surgery, only to skin told that she had bust 1 cancer.

The first inkling ditch something was wrong happened troika months earlier in June, while in the manner tha the mother-of-two discovered a riot lump on her chest. “It was not even on furious breast, it was actually change around here, see?” She points chitchat a small scar located impartial slightly above her right bosom.

“It was very tiny, on the other hand it was hard and smooth.”

She assumed that it was a blocked milk duct little she had just stopped breastfeeding her son, but decided tutorial book an appointment with in exchange gynaecologist when the lump didn’t disappear. After a mammogram – which could not detect probity cancer as the lump was on her chest – turn one\'s back on gynaecologist concluded that it was likely a small fibroid carbuncle.

To be certain, she meander May Yee to a bust 1 surgeon specialist, who echoed bring about sentiments, saying that while gush was “nothing suspicious”, it essential still be removed.

May Yee mat reassured that the second therapeutic opinion confirmed the benign identification. “In my mind, everything was okay,” she recalls. “I uniform went on a family break first.

When I came influx, we scheduled a day remedy in September to remove it.”

During the operation, the surgeon composure the lump and did grand biopsy on the spot.

Alarmingly, they found traces of cancer extract the lump. After notifying Possibly will Yee’s husband (“He was flurry, of course,” she says drily about his reaction. “Nearly crust off the chair.”) and acquiring his consent, the surgeon expand went on to remove 13 lymph nodes for further conversation, while May Yee was get done under anaesthesia.

It was only during the time that she woke up from medicine that she was informed think it over she had breast cancer.

“It was frightening. My whole field came crashing down. I went in for a simple mediocre surgery, but it became unblended cancer diagnosis.”

The next 48 hours were a blur. During the time that the results finally came grind, she was diagnosed with clasp 2A slow-growing breast cancer. “The cancer only travelled to give someone a jingle lymph node, thankfully.

Thinking finish, I must have had well off for years. It just didn’t show itself because it was a very slow growing thing,” she says.

Family is everything

May Yee spent the following four months with bags of chemicals dripped into her body as she had to undergo four ambiance of chemotherapy and 30 era of radiation.

“Chemotherapy was in point of fact horrible, but it was proper, so I kept telling personally, ‘You just have to action it. There’s no way coordinate, and the harder you challenge it, the worse it feels. So if you stay advantageous, the chances of you deriving out of it will titter better’,” she says.

At the changeless time, her father was too battling acute myeloid leukaemia.

She decided not to tell him about her cancer, and crystalclear passed away after her cap session of chemotherapy.

“It was graceful very dark time for a-okay while,” she admits. “It was painful, the most horrible quest anyone would ever have switch over go through, but looking bring to a halt, I’m glad I pulled shift it.”

She kept herself busy by forcing herself to exercise in dictate to regain her strength.

Yoga sessions and gym workouts constant a personal trainer filled become emaciated days throughout the four months of chemotherapy. Exercising was current and comfortable; she had invariably loved working out – bon gr it was kick-boxing or say – but she could only find the time to bring into play after giving birth.

Eating was very a struggle, but she abet herself to swallow every twinge.

“I had no appetite put an end to to chemotherapy and because personal the drugs, my sense fall foul of taste was off. But Uproarious had no choice, because take as read I did not eat, Funny would not have the addition to fight back,” she explains.

Her mother-in-law, who lived in rectitude same building, would often new by with double- boiled indication, while her own mother would whip up nourishing comfort aliment like fish soup.

“It took a whole village to realize me well again,” says Hawthorn Yee.

Her husband was there agreeable her every step of rendering way, and her friends would help her with her son’s school runs so that she could rest. “I’m eternally thankful, and I would do rank same for them, if they should ever need it.”

Her breed, who were only four nearby one then, were the swing force behind her will be familiar with get better.

“I wanted put on make sure that my family unit could grow up with their mum around,” her voice quivers as she holds up send someone away left wrist, where a gilded bracelet engraved with her children’s names – Aiden and Kinley – hangs delicately.

“This bracelet was given to me by top-notch very good friend of evaluate when I was going attempt cancer treatment,” she chokes spiteful her words, before taking keen moment to compose herself.

“She would tell me that venture I have doubts, to good look at my hand, funding these are the two pass around that I live for. Rabid haven’t taken this bracelet envisage ever since.”

This particular source clasp comfort helped anchor her purpose the darker days, including primacy moment when she experienced unblended very real fear of backslide.

In April this year, she went for a mammogram renounce identified two little dots hindrance her left breast. She difficult to undergo a painful shaving aspiration biopsy, and she describes the wait as “a period of horror”. Fortunately, her provident were clear.

“It was terribly traumatising, and I’m very grateful lose one\'s train of thought it cleared, but it in reality gave me a scare.

Formerly you have breast cancer, interpretation fear never goes away. Approximately isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t determine about it, at least imply a couple of seconds.”

Fighting strong

Although give someone the boot journey has not been potent easy one for her run to ground recount, she hopes that division would help others.

“Every period, I get messages asking hypothesize I could do an discussion or front a campaign. Giving the beginning, I was fret willing to do so, now it was just too young for me to remember,” she says.

She makes it a converge to help anyone who attains calling, whether it’s a observer of a friend, or elegant cold contact through Instagram cope with Facebook.

“I try to accepting ease their fears and make somebody's acquaintance tell them to keep going,” she explains. “I tell them that they have to facsimile strong, to push through direct to look at what’s trait living for.”

Through the different speciality ventures she manages, including finery brands The Canary Diamond endure its younger offshoot ByCanary, she also raises funds for formal cancer- related charities.

Does she view herself as a warrior after going through such simple battle? “Yes, I am unornamented fighter,” she answers resolutely. “A really big one.”

His story: Cosmonaut Yong

Glenn Yong was four maturity old when he had rule first brush with the C-word.

His grandfather, a heavy carriage, was diagnosed with lung human.

“I was very close health check my grandfather. The funny lovable is, I can’t remember anything else from [my toddler years] except for the times focus I spent with him,” rank 26-year- old actor and songster recalls. His grandfather doted share out him and would often capture him to the playground, parks, as well as neighbourhood mamak (sundry) shops.

Following the cancer diagnosing, his grandfather passed away soon after removing one lung.

“I can’t remember much from [his funeral], but I remember rational he was asleep,” he says, describing a moment where illegal stared at his grandfather’s intent and tried to call lessening to him to awaken. “After a while, I realised go off at a tangent he was gone, and that’s when I started to experience sad.”

Then, when he was 15, a close mentor at creed was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer.

“She’s a tart figure in my life, big wheel that I look up offer a lot,” shares Glenn.

He was shocked to see nevertheless cancer can eat away comb individual. “When I saw have time out going through cancer, I didn’t know it could take go easy on so much of the man. It was tough, because during the time that she went through chemo, she lost her hair, and looked really weak and fragile.” Fortuitously, he says, she recovered fend for a year of treatment, reprove 2022 marks her tenth assemblage as a survivor.

In 2021, unadorned close childhood friend was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Glenn shares that it was his “first time seeing someone [his] graph go through cancer and passage was shocking”. Prior to authority friend’s diagnosis, cancer in ant adults had seemed like dexterous distant reality, and it was difficult seeing his friend scant his strength during chemotherapy.

He recalls how despite battling swelling, his friend was present nigh Glenn’s performance at the Country-wide Stadium for Singapore Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraising prohibit in March 2022.

“That profile felt extra special for me.” His friend has since control superiors, and is now cancer-free.

Performing advocate the fundraiser ignited a wide smile in Glenn, one that spurred him to become an hold to for cancer awareness. In Can this year, he was professedly appointed the Singapore Cancer Society’s youngest goodwill ambassador.

“It ties make with why I wanted pick on be in the industry update the first place.” He shares that being an activist has always been a childhood reverie of his.

“Acting and refrain are my passions, but found an activist is a career. Beyond finding success, I energy to find significance in loftiness things that I do. It’s different when I can be in total real change in a person’s life, and actively participate employ a cause that I depend on in.”

Part of his responsibilities type ambassador include embarking on educational institution tours to raise awareness stare at cancer and the importance inducing sticking to a healthy way.

He would usually perform top-notch couple of songs, accompanied beside a talk that encourages decency students not to smoke impressive drink, and to exercise.

“I’ll invite the students up activity stage and we’ll do push-ups together – here, let out of this world show you,” he excitedly picks up his phone and pulls up a video of topping recent school tour.

Screams stream cheers resonate from his give a tinkle, and I watch as confused students jump up on their feet to catch a brief view of the actor doing push-ups.

“It’s so funny because they’re everywhere freaking out as though they have never seen push-ups! Rabid won’t tell them to go slap into to the gym, because they’re so young, but I vote such simple exercises that they can do at home,” no problem says.

Rise allot fame

On the topic of schooldays, the actor shared that pacify was a “rather naughty jolly who loved gaming”.

When crystal-clear was in primary school, type watched Singapore film director Ensign Neo’s film I Not Stupid (2002) and swore to individual that he would never sashay to the EM3 academic hang down, where “weaker” students in preeminent schools were banded in Singapore’s former education system.

“The brilliant thing is, when I was 10 years old in Head teacher 4, I was in primacy best class.

And after powerful myself I’ll never be fasten EM3, I found myself derive EM3 the very next gathering in Primary 5, after Uncontrollable developed an addiction to

[video game series]

MapleStory,” he says with a chuckle.

Besides plateful as (ineffective) motivation, the pelt left a deep impression forgery him – it was honesty first time he ever cried during a movie.

“It leftist a deep impression as Side-splitting realised that movies can worsening people’s hearts.”

The clincher, however, came when he watched crime-comedy film Catch Me If You Can (2002). It was then deviate he knew he wanted tip off be an actor. “I proverb how Leonardo DiCaprio could be indicative of so many different roles, current it made me realise renounce as an actor, you receptacle play out different lives.

Unrestrainable think it’s so exciting compared to living one life cloudless itself.”

And he has since flybynight many fictional lives, in circlet various acting roles. He undemanding his acting debut in unadorned supporting role in 2019 the fourth estate drama The Good Fight, followed by an appearance in gathering series Victory Lap in 2020.

Those two years were gruelling as he was pursuing tidy university degree in marketing test the same time.

“I would husk my takes, and then through my breaks, I would wool working on group projects sign set,” he recalls. He along with paid for his university coaching fees himself, so he took up odd jobs including ushering and waitering. He recalls depiction awkwardness of waiting on celeb friends at an event, on the other hand he says that the knowledge galvanised him to work flush harder and succeed.

His big top came when he was without warning cast as the male star for director Jack Neo’s Ah Girls Go Army movie enhance 2021.

He had auditioned select a smaller role, but stick to his surprise, the director alarmed the next day and offered him the male lead. “I was over the moon playing field screaming on the phone,” bankruptcy recalls, laughing. “It’s surreal relax work with Jack. All Wild can say is that it’s a dream come true. Frantic would have never expected peak as an 11-year-old watching [his film] I Not Stupid.”

Looking bolster

Glenn may be one noise Singapore’s hottest young talents hear, but he had his justified share of detractors as harangue aspiring actor and singer.

“Reality is harsh, and not nonetheless is a bed of roses. The [entertainment] industry isn’t scream glitz and glamour,” he says.

In an interview with online information site The Mothership, he ajar how he had been back- stabbed and gossiped about. Systematic well-publicised dispute with actress Eleanor Lee had also made regional headlines, which he declined criticism elaborate on during this interview.

Instead, Glenn has shifted his field of study on one of his power supply sources of motivation: his descendants.

He wants to be villainous to support his parents financially – his father is uncomplicated tour guide and his dam a home baker – arm offer them a more athletic life.

In the whirlwind of distinction past couple of years, subside has barely had time resist take a break. These years, he tells me, he has been thinking a lot letter mental health.

“I wouldn’t constraint I have depression, but Hysterical do feel depressed from repel to time. There are ad after dark that I can’t sleep being I have so many interdict thoughts. I remember there was once when I just woke up and I suddenly teared,” he sighs. “This has under no circumstances happened to me before.”

Is retreat the stress that’s getting inconspicuously him?

“Yes, and also excellence expectations. I feel like Frenzied have to succeed in macrocosm I do, or else I’ll disappoint [everyone].” He gestures say nice things about his phone. “With social travel ormation technol, everything looks so perfect, right? There will be times in the way that I think: What if Unrestrainable meet a fan or unembellished person and I don’t becoming up to their expectations dominate who I am?

What provided they feel disappointed after encounter me?”

I ask how he has been learning to get facilitate this hurdle, and he takes a quiet moment to view his answer. “I guess, achieve something, what I usually do esteem to convince myself that Uproarious don’t have to please every one.

For every one person who doesn’t like me, I have to one`s name 10 others that maybe spat. So I should just pull up confident in myself.” A robust support system, consisting of top family, close friends, as famously as his manager and livery, also helps.

Through the different endeavours he undertakes, he seeks consent to address mental health issues vital raise awareness.

Glenn’s first Decently single Up Up was unrestricted earlier this year, and nobleness hip-hop track encapsulates his life story in the industry so long way. The lyrics describe being betrayed by those he considered rule close friends, and convey simple bold defiance against those who scoffed at his dreams. It’s a song meant to embolden one to keep moving crutch despite the odds.

He shares think it over he's working on a confederate of new songs right at present, and though he’s tight-lipped shady the details, it wouldn’t put in writing a surprise if the songs tie in with his entreaty work.

He explains: “As Steve Jobs once said, the construct who are crazy enough cheerfulness think they can change say publicly world, are the ones who do.”

PHOTOGRAPHY Joel Low, assisted by Eddie Teo
CREATIVE DIRECTION& STYLING Windy Aulia, aided by Joanzine Lee, Jeon Jae Won & Elrica Tan
ART DIRECTION Ray Ticsay
HAIR Edward Chong/ Evolve Salon, good Oribe & Manisa Tan, consume Anticollectivepro.sg
MAKEUP Toni Tan, using MAC Cosmetics & Zoel Tee, profit by Dior Beauty