One and a half years ago at just 26 years old, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer with tumours in his lungs, brain, spine and bones. 

Sebastian Tan, the head chef of Singapore cafe Strangers’ Reunion, has since gone through painful rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and other medical treatments.

This was possible thanks to the financial help given by the fundraising campaign, “Save a Stranger”, that his employers started for him when his cancer was first detected. 

Earlier last month (May 5), Strangers’ Reunion’s Facebook page released another call for help.

Left with $9k from the previously raised sum of $92k, more funds would be required to support further treatments for the Malaysian chef, who has no personal insurance of his own.

While the treatments were able to keep Tan’s cancer under control for a period of time, where he’d managed to go back to work and “play abit of his favourite basketball”, it hasn’t been so for the last few weeks.

The Facebook post revealed that his cancer had started to act up and caused a buildup of fluid in his lungs, which led to the pooling of fluid around his heart – a critical condition which required emergency high-risk surgery.

To continue helping the chef with his battle with cancer, the cafe has since started a second fundraising campaign for their employee at GIVE Asia, along with placing donation boxes outside their three cafes.

More information about the campaign can be found on its website.

ongymm@sph.com.sg