Ex-SIA stewardess opens up about fight against rare brain cancer: 'I told him he could find another girl'

After leaving Singapore Airlines as a cabin crew for a retail role at Marina Bay Sands in 2025, Teresa Hon, who turns 32 in October, began experiencing headaches. 

At first they came and went but instead of easing, the headaches grew more frequent and intense, until they built up to a "hammering" intensity, Hon told AsiaOne in an interview on Friday (July 17). 

Despite being prescribed painkillers, the headaches persisted. She repeatedly vomited, experienced seizures and even pulled at her hair in agony because of the excruciating pain. 

It eventually got to the point where she could no longer keep food down, vomiting after nearly every meal.

Her husband, 41-year-old Bjorn Chua, told AsiaOne that Hon, who was usually bubbly and energetic, had become "reclusive", isolating herself in her room.

Tumour the size of tennis ball

In November 2025, Hon finally decided to go for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan after consulting a neurologist. 

The findings? A huge tumour about the size of a tennis ball, recalled Chua. 

Hon was diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma — the most aggressive and a fast-growing form of primary brain tumour.

Unlike most cancers, brain tumours are classified by grade, reflecting how they grow and behave, rather than by stage, which indicates how far a cancer has spread. 

Only about 100 cases of this type of brain cancer are diagnosed in Singapore every year, according to the National Cancer Centre Singapore's website. The average survival time following diagnosis is approximately two years.

The couple recalled feeling "shocked, overwhelmed and heartbroken" at the news. 

Hon, who got married to Chua in 2023, said: "I just wanted to get (the tumour) out. I told (my husband) immediately, 'I want to operate.'"

Chua, who works in real estate, recounted that he was angry about receiving the news, saying that he "didn't expect somebody so young to actually have brain cancer". 

"She's healthy. ...and I was in denial," admitted Chua. "My biggest fear was that she dies."

Couple met on a dating app

The couple first met on dating app OkCupid in July 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and dated for about two years. 

They tied the knot on Oct 18, 2023 — also Hon's birthday — before holding their wedding ceremony in February 2024.

"She has the qualities of looking after a family," Chua said, adding that when he brought her to see his friends, they all calmly said: "Okay, can." 

Meanwhile, Hon said she was drawn to Chua's profile picture, which showed him holding a poodle, thinking it was his dog. 

She later found out it actually belonged to his friend. The couple now have a six-year-old poodle named Kimii.

Recalling the day of Hon's operation, Chua quipped: "Before she was wheeled into the theatre, she asked me to look after the dog in case she dies."

Hon was admitted to Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital on Dec 10 last year and wheeled into surgery three days later. 

She was discharged on Dec 19, 2025.

Prior to the operation, doctors had estimated a four- to six-hour surgery, so when the operating theatre doors opened after only two hours, Chua admitted that he had thought the worst.

"Your heart just sinks. (You're) very scared (and) worried, but there's nothing you can do — you're just waiting outside, and the time feels very long," said Chua. 

The surgeon was able to remove around 40 per cent of the tumour, the couple said, while radiation and chemotherapy would be used for what remained. 

The tumour has since shrunk to the size of a ping pong ball.

Hon told AsiaOne on Friday that she will be doing monthly blood tests and IV drips moving forward. 

Discussing the financial cost of the surgery, Chua said the hospital stay, surgery and post-operative treatment amounted to more than $300,000.

He said he "handled (the expenses) alone", adding that he feels "very blessed" to still be able to care for his wife.

'He could find another girl'

Following the operation, Hon admitted to feeling like her life had "completely shattered" as she was left bedridden for months. 

"There was a point when I told (my husband) I wanted to give up. He could find another girl, remarry and forget me," Hon said. 

Chua rejected the idea and, with tears in his eyes, he declared: "I don't want to remarry. I only have one wife. I'll just stick to this one." 

"It has never occurred to me this way."

@asiaone For 31-year-old Teresa Hon, battling glioblastoma - the most aggressive form of brain cancer and incurable - the darkness of uncertainty has been lighted up by her family, including her husband's relentless support. #sgnews #Singapore #Health #Cancer #Family ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

Hon also told AsiaOne how a pastor, during a church service, once shared the testimony of a man named Kenny Lee, a sports enthusiast who had to re-learn how to walk after undergoing an open skull surgery in 2024. 

Inspired by Lee's faith and experience, Hon said: "I just crashed, I just broke down in the church. From that moment, I decided that I want to fight."

Before the cancer diagnosis, Hon revealed that they had also been trying for a year to get pregnant. 

However, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, she said that the couple have decided not to have children, pointing out how chemotherapy can affect fertility.

"I just want to be happy and have another fur-kid," she added. 

Looking back on her journey, she shared that she wants to inspire people to keep fighting. 

"Cancer doesn't define your destiny. It doesn't define who you are," said Hon, adding that this experience is just part of her story. 

"You just never lose hope and keep fighting, keep the faith."

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