My Perfect Weekend with senior model Ong Bee Yan

Who: Ms Ong Bee Yan, 69, is a Singaporean senior fashion model and the founder of Fashion For Cancer. It is a community-led initiative – supported by volunteers, fashion industry partners and cancer survivors – which raises funds for cancer research and patient support.

For its third edition on Sept 13 at The Westin Singapore grand ballroom, the event – themed Rise Together – will shine a spotlight on caregivers to honour the family members, friends and loved ones who stand by those battling cancer.

Ms Ong has lost several family members to cancer, including her uncle, mother, aunts and two cousins. In August 2023, just two weeks after the inaugural Fashion For Cancer runway show, her son Chia Rong Liang died of pancreatic cancer at the age of 38.

“My most memorable weekend was part of my trip to Japan in January 2023. I was there for 1½ weeks, and it was to celebrate my 67th birthday. The whole holiday was planned by Rong Liang, who wanted to do something special for me. 

I have always liked Japan and so did he. He planned everything for me, my husband and himself.

We took a weekend trip to Kyoto, where we stayed at a traditional Japanese inn, experienced an onsen bath, took a trip to Mount Fuji and went thrift shopping.

It was my first time in a ryokan, sleeping on a futon on a tatami mat and indulging in a traditional meal. I had also never had an onsen bath before.

We later travelled to the Mount Fuji area, just to catch a glimpse of the mountain. Unfortunately, we did not get to see it, but the effort Rong Liang put into everything made it so meaningful.

When he had cancer, I used to ask myself: How can I make him happy, even just for a day? What can I do to motivate him? I could not think of anything. 

But during that weekend, when we were in Kyoto, something clicked. He was crossing the street, strutting like a supermodel, and I suddenly had a light-bulb moment.

That’s it, I thought. I would organise a fashion show where he and other cancer survivors could walk the runway. It wouldn’t just be for him – it would bring joy to others as well. That’s how the idea for Fashion For Cancer began. Walking the runway also gave him something to look forward to. 

He always loved thrift shopping. He was not one to buy branded goods, even though he had friends who liked to spend on such things. To him, these were just a waste of money.

During the trip, he told me, ‘Mum, I’m going to spend my money and make myself happy.’ So he went thrift shopping and was just so happy trying on all the clothes. That was really memorable. 

To me, that weekend will always be unforgettable. He would have been 40 this year.

I think the trip was a good break for him and he really wanted us to have that time together as a family. We rarely went on holidays like that, and he made sure it was meaningful, especially for me. And it truly was.”