Educator finds gratitude through art after battling blood cancer for nine years

At 58, Wong Ching Yee has found a profound sense of gratitude and a way to anchor herself through art, a pursuit she embraced during a tumultuous period marked by a nine-year battle with multiple myeloma and the loss of her husband.

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I was expecting bad news but I did not expect cancer. In fact, when they told me I had multiple myeloma, I asked them what it was. Could they spell it out for me?

Her cancer journey began in 2015 with persistent joint pain and fatigue, initially diagnosed as monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). However, by 2017, her condition progressed, leading to a diagnosis of multiple myeloma, a blood cancer affecting plasma cells. The news came as a shock, especially as she had to ask for the diagnosis to be spelled out. Her treatment involved chemotherapy and an autologous stem cell transplant, which left her severely weakened.

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When they told me it was cancer, I broke down.

Compounding her health struggles, Wong's husband was diagnosed with colon cancer and passed away within 10 months. It was during this season of loss and personal health crisis that Wong, an educator, turned to art. Starting with card-making in 2019, she expanded to sketching, calligraphy, and painting, using her art to capture cherished memories and moments, particularly those of her childhood home and family.

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Mortality is very real. It’s staring at me in the face.

"Mortality is very real. It's staring at me in the face," Wong reflected. Now in her second remission, she continues to create art, finding a way to process her experiences and cultivate thankfulness amidst life's challenges. Her work often features detailed sketches of places and people significant to her, serving as a testament to resilience and the enduring power of human connection.

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I lost my hair and lost about 10kg. I didn’t have energy to walk from the bed to the toilet. I had diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, and had to get disposable underwear because I would soil myself.