.jpg%3Fitok%3DVgKTbgBb&w=3840&q=100)
Money Talks - Navigating the financial costs of cancer
Money Talks
Play
21 mins
Beyond the physical and emotional toll that comes with having cancer, the financial burden can be just as daunting. So what are the key costs to consider if you or your loved one are faced with cancer? Group director for clinical services at the Singapore Cancer Society Dr Dennis Chia is our guest.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
27 years after her road accident, a Singaporean searches for the couple who saved her life
There is often no telling what cues would trigger which memories long buried. You could catch a whiff of someone's perfume on the bus, and just like that, remember the year it took to get over an ex who smelled the same, along with the hobbies you picked up to fill the void. In cognitive psychology, this phenomenon is known as an involuntary autobiographical memory chain. These spontaneous recollections unfold as a sequence of associated memories, each one triggering the next, without conscious effort. Often, these memories come and go – reminders of the life we've lived – with little need to act upon them. For one Singaporean woman, however, a mix of seemingly inconsequential and unrelated cues recently evoked memories of her cycling accident 27 years ago, prompting a search for the couple whom she believes saved her life then. THE CYCLING ACCIDENT Jacqueline Gan was 24 when she was hit by a car while cycling. The accident happened at the junction of Marymount Road and Marymount Lane at 6.15am on Dec 18, 1998. Gan recalled being lifted 'some distance into mid-air', before collapsing onto the ground. Despite her light-headedness, she remembered seeing 'a lot of blood' flowing from her face onto her blue Catholic Junior College T-shirt – and then, a car stopped beside her. The Chinese couple who stepped out of the vehicle were 'uttering in Singlish Mandarin, wondering who could've knocked me over, and said they needed to quickly bring me to the hospital', she recounted to CNA Lifestyle, after reaching out via email in May, hoping to get her story heard. 'I was just so dazed and helpless, I just got brought into the car. And that was it.' In her state, Gan didn't get the couple's names or any identifying details, or a chance to thank them. She only remembers they'd ferried her to the nearby Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), before she was transferred to Singapore General Hospital's (SGH) accident and emergency unit. In total, she estimates getting around 60 to 70 stitches on her face – including her gums, mouth, nose, cheeks and the area around her eyes. 'I was 24 then. I'd just started my career, and things were very good. I was also improving my relationship with my brother. I'd go cycling with him, so that cycling equipment (the bicycle I was riding when I was hit) was very important to me,' she shared. 'And then this happened. Why did this happen?' It's a question she's still unable to answer, although Gan, now 51, has found her own closure since relocating to Hong Kong in 2001. She stopped cycling on public roads to ease her mum's worries, but rediscovered her love for running, having once represented her school as a sprinter in her youth. Running outdoors gave her the 'physical and mental closure' she was seeking. 'Every now and then, I will think about this accident, about the impact it had on me and my family, and how it spurred me on to other activities,' she added. 'But even when I'd write (in my blog) about the accident, I still didn't think about the doctors or the couple.' INCIDENT THAT LED TO SEARCH FOR COUPLE That is, until a simple incident in March this year gave her a new perspective. Gan was in Johor Bahru with her husband and now-elderly mum when, while carrying her mum's groceries, she felt something shift in the bag. Instead of looking down to readjust the goods, she instinctively reached in to identify the item – and experienced a flashback. 'That moment brought me back to those days after the accident, when I had to move around the home using my sense of touch without visual help,' she said, noting her eyesight had been temporarily affected by her injuries. 'And because I was focused on my sense of touch now – instead of how the overall accident affected me and my family, like I usually do – I was looking at the accident from another perspective.' One memory unlocked another. Gan recalled that the couple had been around her mum's age when they rescued her, so they were 'not young' anymore, and felt compelled to try and reach out to them. In May, she wrote to the Traffic Police (TP) but was told there were no records of the couple's names – they weren't witnesses to the accident. Neither did the hospitals, both TTSH and SGH, have their identity. She reached out to them, hoping to thank the surgeons who operated on her, though that search has proven futile too as she never got their names decades ago. Her medical documents were also disposed of when her mum moved house. The only physical artefact from the time was a letter from TP, dated about a year after the accident, which she showed CNA Lifestyle. The driver, who was unnamed in the letter, was eventually fined for 'removing the vehicle without the authority of a police officer', the letter stated. She had decided not to press charges, she said. 'If I can live on – fortunately that's the case – it's okay. I don't want to pursue more.' 'I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DID FOR ME' Gan knows the chances of finding the couple now are slim, even with the power of social media. But having found meaning in helping others, especially during the pandemic, she recognises the ripple effect of a single act of goodwill. In her case, the couple's help was 'the first step that allowed me to survive to this day', she said. 'I would not have been able to help others if not for them. If they didn't help me at that time, I cannot imagine what would happen because I lost so much blood.' After the accident, Gan and her husband pursued their Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) before starting a company in Hong Kong focused on risk and security projects. The language enthusiast also picked up German and French, travelled widely, and built a purposeful, expansive life – one that ultimately surpassed the career she once believed had been derailed. 'So, a lot of things are possible for me to explore. I don't know why it took me such a long time to realise that maybe I should really thank the people who helped me in the first place, to allow me to be doing what I am doing now,' she said. 'I'd like to let them know I'm doing good. And I want to thank them for what they did for me, because I can live to this age and still do more.'
CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
Maids caring for young children must get measles vaccination from September 2025
Maids in Singapore must be immunised against measles from September if they are working in households with young children who are yet to be fully vaccinated. This comes as the number of infections in Singapore climbed to 11 in the first five months of this year, equalling the total logged in 2024. The highest number of infections in Singapore was in 1997, with 1,413 cases. Nadine Yeam reports.
Independent Singapore
17 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
MOM: Maids are required to have measles immunity in households with young kids who aren't fully vaccinated, as cases rise worldwide
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced on Tuesday (Jun 10) that the employers of migrant domestic workers in households with children below the age of seven who've not been fully vaccinated against measles must ensure that their helpers have immunity against the disease. 'This measure will enhance our public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections,' MOM said. Immunization is available as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The MMR vaccine is administered in two doses, with an interval of at least four weeks between doses. This vaccine is available for helpers at private general practitioner (GP) clinics, whom employers may call for appointments. Employers should shoulder the costs of meeting the immunity requirements for helpers. Measles, once a common childhood disease, has a safe and effective vaccine, and the number of infections and deaths has been dramatically reduced since mass vaccination programmes were introduced beginning from the 1960s. At some points, the disease was even declared eliminated in certain parts of the world. However, measles has seen a resurgence in cases in the past few years, in part due to disruptions to vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a rising sentiment against vaccinations in general. Recently, measles has been in the news in relation to travel, as many parts of the world are entering their summer breaks. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued travel guidance earlier this month, advising its citizens to be vaccinated against measles regardless of their travel destination. In Europe, measles infections are at a 25-year high , according to a report by the BBC on Jun 6. Travelers are similarly being warned to keep their vaccinations up to date. MOM underlined that measles is highly contagious, and despite Singapore having high vaccination coverage and population immunity, 'sporadic cases and small clusters of measles are still expected among individuals who are not immune due to the highly transmissible nature of the disease.' The ministry also stated that, as Singapore is a major travel hub, the increase in measles cases in Asia and worldwide remains a health risk to those without immunity to the disease. Therefore, the requirement for helpers to be immunized aims to reduce the risk of transmission to young children who are not fully vaccinated. From Sept 1, employers with children below the age of seven need to declare the following information for helpers' work permits to be issued or renewed. The helper is already vaccinated or immune to measles, or All children below seven years old in the household have been fully vaccinated; or The helper has not been vaccinated, but a vaccination appointment has been booked for her. Helpers do not need to be vaccinated if they are already immune to measles or if the children in the household under the age of seven are fully vaccinated against the disease. Since immunity to measles may be acquired through past infection or vaccination, employers may provide documentary proof to MOM, including proof of vaccination completion, serology test results, or laboratory confirmation of past infection. Employers who have helpers in their households are also encouraged to review the immunity status of their MDW ahead of the permit renewal. /TISG Read related: MOH: 17 measles cases found in workers' dormitory and home for people with special needs
