“Agnes Aragay Aresto joined our family in November 2019 and has since become an integral part of our young family. With the responsibilities that come with both of us being working parents, Agnes has been instrumental in helping us care for our two young boys – aged 3 years and two months respectively.

Agnes is no stranger to trials and tribulations, having left the Philippines from a young age to support her family back home, and foregoing her aspirations, including that of marriage and having children of her own. As bittersweet as it may seem, we are the luckier for it, because Agnes constantly showers both our little boys with utmost love and dedication.

Holding on to her unyielding fighting spirit, Agnes, 44, is now facing a life-changing battle, after having been recently diagnosed with Stage 3 HER-2+ breast cancer, the most aggressive breast cancer of all.

After getting over the initial shock, despair and denial, Agnes is keeping her spirit up in this fight against cancer. The cost of her treatment is estimated to cost S$50,000* lasting over a year – with chemotherapy, mastectomy and radiotherapy sessions in the months ahead. Agnes has started her first chemotherapy session in May 2022. We have decided to run this marathon with her until she is free from cancer, while continuing to raise our young family amidst the rising costs of living.

Our health insurance plan for her will only cover up to S$20,000, and not every treatment and consultation is claimable. At the moment, we have made a claim for $3,000 for her initial biopsy.

Some will ask why not just send Agnes home where treatment will likely be cheaper. Simply put – as Agnes is an integral member of our family unit, we are responsible for her health and safety, and with Singapore’s advanced medical system, Agnes has a better chance of survival and a better quality of life if her cancer treatment is done locally.

We are working with Ray of Hope, a crowdfunding charity to handle all the payments so you can be sure that the funds are going directly for his treatment. Ray of Hope does not take a cut from the donations, and 100% of the your donations will go to Agnes’ treatment. Payment will be made directly to the hospital.

The journey will undoubtedly be arduous, as chemotherapy can be exceptionally taxing on the body. We can only pray that the course of treatment will be successful with minimal side effects, and that Agnes will be given a new lease of life with cancer in remission. Your generosity will help Agnes keep up the good fight. Thank you for journeying with us!

Yours truly,
Mr. and Mrs. Christian Chong”

*The campaign target of S$50,000 is based on a close estimate from the hospital. S$20,000 from the insurance plan will be drawn down first, before donations are utilised for Agnes’ medical expenses. Any excess funds will go towards Agnes’ post-cancer care.