KAJANG: “Right now, what I am most reluctant to leave behind is my 6-year-old son…”

When doctors told Wong Tsae Ling that her breast cancer had spread to her bones and lymph nodes, upgrading her diagnosis to Stage 4, her world momentarily stood still.

Understanding her deepest fear, her attending physician gave her a sobering piece of advice: “Spend the rest of your time with your child.”

 Those words became deeply etched in her heart.

Yet, rather than bowing to fate, Wong chose to bravely fight each day, embarking on a poignant race against time to fund her treatments and forge a lasting legacy of love with her young son.

A mother’s love ignites a bakery of survival

Wong, who is in her 40s and grew up in an orphanage, discovered her condition last November when she noticed discharge from her breast.

Despite undergoing surgery, subsequent lab reports confirmed the cancer had spread.

Wong’s bones are now so fragile that doctors have warned her that a single fall or collision could cause severe fractures or catastrophic complications.

Furthermore, her family is under immense financial strain. Wong’s husband works tirelessly as a café supervisor to earn a monthly income of RM2,400 after EPF deductions.

To alleviate the heavy burden of her RM850 monthly injection treatments at Ampang Hospital, Wong – supported by her close friend – decided to use her remaining strength to bake and sell low-sugar cakes, including banana cakes, Swiss rolls, and green tea spiral rolls.

Operating under the Facebook “Ling Ling Homemade Cake,” they typically produce small batches of 38 boxes at a time, selling them at open-air stalls in Ampang town and Pusat Bandar Puchong.

“Every time I go out to sell cakes, my husband is the most worried,” Wong shared.

“He breaks his heart for me and constantly reminds me to eat well. I keep baking because I refuse to leave all the pressure on his shoulders alone.”

Wong recalls that during her initial surgery, her heart stopped beating for a second.

“It was actually my birthday. I was brought back from the brink of death entirely because the doctor kept drumming into my ear that my son was waiting for me to come home.”

A wave of public support and a fight above the clouds

Wong’s unwavering spirit and fierce maternal love have deeply touched the public.

Following a report by Sin Chew Daily and a video appeal by Selangor DAP youth chief Lee Wen Bin – who bought out her entire stock one afternoon so she could go home and rest – orders began pouring in like a blizzard.

While Wong firmly insists on earning her medical fees through her own hard work and refuses charity, kind-hearted citizens have found creative ways to help.

Customers frequently slip red packets into her hands, laughing off her refusals by saying, “This red packet isn’t for you, it’s for your child.”

To date, she has received around RM2,300 in unsolicited donations.

Touched by this kindness, Wong has designated 30% of these funds to purchase baking ingredients so she can handmake cakes to distribute to orphanages and nursing homes, passing the warmth forward.

Wong’s deepest wish was simple: to take a short trip with her son and capture enough photos and videos so that he would have a treasure trove of memories on her phone after she is gone.

Thanks to a local influencer named Vain and his team, those precious everyday interactions were professionally documented.

Even more remarkably, in early June, Wong and her son experienced the unforgettable joy of flying over Kuala Lumpur in a light aircraft.

“I never thought I’d have the chance to ride in a small plane, let alone see the vastness of the world from above,” Wong expressed with renewed hope.

 “I won’t give up. I am eagerly waiting for the day my doctor smiles and tells me, ‘Ms. Wong, you are fit to fly abroad now.’”

For safety during her travels, Wong carries a comprehensive medical history compiled by her doctor so that any regional hospital can instantly coordinate with the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) in an emergency.

Cross-border kindness and an unlikely royal order

Wong’s story eventually reached an anonymous benefactor from China. Deeply moved by her resilience, the donor stepped forward to fully sponsor a two-day, one-night birthday getaway for her son, who turns six on July 1st.

On July 2nd, the entire family will travel to a hotel in Port Dickson to celebrate.

The viral wave of support also caught the attention of Malaysian national icon and badminton legend, Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.

After reading her story, Lee contacted Wong through his assistant.

Respecting her stance against accepting handouts, the badminton superstar chose to show his support with a massive commercial order, purchasing 600 boxes of cakes at once.

Another local corporate figure with a ‘Datuk’ title similarly reached out, deeply moved by her grit, requesting a personal meeting to find other avenues to assist her.

“This is an incredible encouragement, and above all, a mark of respect,” Wong said gratefully.

“They aren’t just looking at the cakes; they care about the mother fighting through the pain.”

Looking forward, Wong has already formulated a plan to set aside RM1 from every cake box sold to donate to those in need.

“Although my body is sick, my mind is not,” she declared.

“If God grants me a few more years, I want to be the person who helps others,” she said. 

Wong urges the public to remain vigilant against scammers who have recently begun misappropriating her story to solicit unauthorised donations.

All genuine orders can only be placed through her verified Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D9RuWSZVU/