From an ICU Ward to the Runway: A Mother‑Daughter Duo Battles Cancer Together

When Vanessia Woo welcomed her daughter Olivia, the first weeks weren’t filled with the usual baby‑milestones. No giggles, no stroller rides, no sleepy‑time snapshots. Instead, the tiny infant was tucked into an isolation ward, tubes snaking from her chest, fighting a rare form of blood cancer called infantile acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Olivia was only five weeks old when doctors told the terrified parents that 90 % of the cells in her bone marrow were malignant. The odds? A grim 30 % chance of survival. The answer to Vanessia’s desperate question – “What if we don’t treat her?” – was even harsher: organ failure and a painful end.

So the tiny newborn was fitted with a Hickman line, a permanent IV that would deliver powerful chemotherapy straight into her bloodstream. The drugs, though life‑saving, left visible marks – swelling, bruises and a haunting pallor that made her almost unrecognisable in family photos. One side effect still lingers: a foot drop that forces Olivia to wear an ankle‑foot orthosis whenever she walks.

For six months Vanessia, a facilities manager, paused her career and lived beside her daughter’s bedside. She watched Olivia endure endless infusions, fevers, and sleepless nights, while trying to shield her two older children – then ten and two – from the harsh reality.

Miraculously, Olivia beat the odds. By the time she turned one, the leukaemia was in remission and the tubes were finally removed. The family celebrated her first birthday with a tiny cake, though the appetite that once vanished had slowly returned.

Just when the family thought the storm had passed, another blow struck. In 2023, Vanessia received her own diagnosis: Stage 3 breast cancer. The news hit like a tidal wave, yet the mother‑daughter bond that had been forged in the hospital’s sterile corridors now became a source of strength.

Fast‑forward to August 29, 2026 – both mother and daughter will walk the runway at Singapore’s annual Fashion for Cancer charity show. The event, which showcases cancer patients, survivors, and their families, raises funds for research and patient support. Olivia, now eight, will glide down the catwalk alongside her mom, a living testament that hope can blossom from hardship.

When asked how Olivia feels about the upcoming show, Vanessia smiles, “She doesn’t remember the illness herself, but she knows we’re together. It’s not about the cancer any more; it’s about celebrating life.”

Their story reminds us that cancer doesn’t just affect the patient – it reshapes families, rewrites futures, and can even inspire a runway of resilience.