At the age of 12, Vivian Tan, who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours (Highest Distinction), specialising in Marketing and HR , survived a brain tumour. The harrowing road to recovery led her to wonder if more could be done to help fellow patients.
Though the surgery to remove the tumour was successful, Vivian did not expect the side effects to linger during her secondary school and junior college days. She suffered from fatigue and headaches, and her secondary school classmates often thought these were excuses. “They couldn’t understand what I was going through,” she said. The sense of isolation stayed with Vivian until she entered NUS and met Melissa Lim, an adjunct lecturer at NUS Business School and a brain tumour survivor.
Vivian connected with other brain tumour patients through Melissa, the co-founder of the Brain Tumour Society Singapore (BTSS). Since 2022, Vivian has been volunteering at BTSS, helping brain tumour patients and their families with their recovery. She has also organised social events such as movie nights and fundraisers for the BTSS. After celebrating a decade of remission, Vivian found new purpose in volunteering to help fellow patients.
“Meeting Melissa, who was also a tumour survivor showed me the impact of having a supportive community,” Vivian said. “It motivated me to use my journey to bring comfort and strength to others facing the fear and uncertainty of a serious diagnosis”, she added. Vivian even supported an NUS peer who was recovering from a tumour operation.
Beyond her volunteer work with BTSS, Vivian also mentored her juniors as a teaching assistant during her final year. “It was an opportunity to give back to the NUS community,” she explained.
A pillar of support
Edlyn Koh, also a Bachelor of Business Administration with Honours (specialising in Finance and Business Analytics specialisation) graduate, found herself diagnosed with MALT (mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue) lymphoma in 2023 during her third year. MALT is a form of cancer that affects the immune tissue found in the stomach, lungs and around the eyes.
Edlyn first experienced double vision and itchiness in her eyes a year before. Her vision deteriorated, and interventions like corrective lenses and medication did not help. “My eyes would sting, and I would get headaches,” Edlyn said. After visiting a doctor, she received the devastating MALT diagnosis.
Edlyn underwent six months of treatments, including radiotherapy and attended classes whenever she could. The treatment resulted in fatigue and low calcium levels, which led to two broken feet after an innocuous fall, leaving her in a wheelchair for six weeks.
“It was a simple gesture to shift classes around, but Dr Lee was instrumental in helping me stay on track during treatment,” Edlyn reflected. “It taught me the importance of being there for others, and I wanted to embody that same support for those around me.”
While Edlyn, a member of the NUS Cuesports team, had to stop playing pool, she remained in the team to help provide moral support her teammates.
For Edlyn, being there for her team was also part of her healing journey. “I wanted to show setbacks don’t have to stop us from pursuing our passion.”
Looking Ahead
As they embark on their professional careers—Vivian as a management associate at a telecommunications company and Edlyn as a business analyst in the financial sector—both women carry forward the lessons of strength, empathy, and service cultivated at NUS.
“Going through these challenges has shown me that with support and determination, we can turn our toughest experiences into opportunities to make a difference,” Vivian expressed.
Edlyn echoed this sentiment, adding, “Our struggles don’t define us; how we respond to them does. I hope to continue supporting and inspiring others, just as I was supported and inspired.”
