A cancer-stricken Singaporean grandmother who postponed chemotherapy to compete in the Southeast Asian Games for the first time took an emotional gold at the weekend, according to a report Monday.
Tan Yoke Lan, 63, underwent a mastectomy after being diagnosed with stage two breast cancer and travelled to Indonesia against medical advice, Singapore's Straits Times reported.
She also deferred chemotherapy to kill the remaining cancerous cells in her body until after the Games, where on Sunday she earned a gold medal in the women's pairs of bridge with partner Seet Choon Cheng.
"Just a few weeks ago, I was unsure whether I would be able to make it here," Tan, who has six grandchildren, was quoted as saying. "But I came because I didn't want to let my partner and my team-mates down."
The pair won Singapore's first gold in the event, shedding tears and hugging each other at the Jayakarta Hotel in Palembang -- which is co-hosting the Games with Jakarta.
Tan overcame dizzy spells and had to take frequent rest between rounds of the game -- which can last for up to 10 hours a day -- on her way to gold.
She faces chemotherapy on her return to Singapore but said her love of bridge compelled her to delay treatment.
She was a "fighting person and I will fight till the end", she declared.
The biennial SEA Games sees 11 nations compete for hundreds of gold medals. It ends on Tuesday.
28 comments