A former Singapore Airlines stewardess has shared her story of battling a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. Teresa Hon, 32, was diagnosed with grade four glioblastoma and underwent surgery to remove around 40 per cent of the tumour. She will be undergoing monthly blood tests and IV drips moving forward. Her husband, Bjorn Chua, handled the expenses of over $300,000 alone and has been a source of support for Hon throughout her journey.
Ex-SIA stewardess opens up about fight against rare brain cancer: 'I told him he could find another girl'PHOTO: AsiaOne/Esther LamAfter 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 . 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. In November 2025, Hon finally decided to go for a magnetic resonance imaging scan after consulting a neurologist. 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. Hon, who got married to Chua in 2023, said: "I just wanted to get out.
I told 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". 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. 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. very scared 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. 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 alone", adding that he feels "very blessed" to still be able to care for his wife. 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 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.
"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.
"However, after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy, she said that the couple have decided not to have children, pointing out how chemotherapy can affect fertility. 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.
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