Two years after she was diagnosed with early-stage uterus and cervical cancer, Sheree Ang is trying for a baby.
The 45-year-old is also scouting locations for her own bistro bar, fulfilling a dream she has had since she was young.
Both of these would have been far from her mind in July 2024 when she found out that she had grade 1 Endometrioid Adenocarcinoma, a type of endometrial cancer.
The diagnosis brought uncertainty over not just her health and future, but also what treatment might cost.
Says Ang: “I did not know what to expect but I knew a lot of money would be involved.” But knowing she would get a lump-sum payout from her critical illness plans gave her the courage to quit her job to focus on her treatment.
Cancer is not an unfamiliar disease to Ang. In 2016, she had watched her maternal aunt and uncle go through their respective battles with the disease. Both passed away within a year of each other.
However, her aunt underwent an expensive bone marrow transplant which gave her more time with her family.
This prompted Ang to take another look at her own insurance coverage. “I realised I needed more protection,” recalls Ang who, at that time, had only investment-linked, hospitalisation and life insurance plans.
After speaking to Pauline Tay, her financial representative from Prudential Financial Advisers Singapore, who was also a trusted friend, Ang signed up for the PRULady policy as she had wanted a critical illness plan that included a full-body check-up every two years.
Sheree Ang consulted her friend, Pauline Tay (right), who was her Prudential financial representative, before deciding which plan to purchase.
PHOTO: PRUDENTIAL
Like its name suggests, the PRULady plan covers illnesses which affect women through every stage of their lives. It includes coverage for procedures like reconstructive surgery and post-diagnostic support. There is also an option to increase coverage during pregnancy.
Ang’s decision was well-timed as her checkup in June 2024 showed abnormal results from a Pap smear. Tay, who is senior vice-president, Wealth Advisory at Prudential Financial Advisers Singapore, advised her to follow up with a gynaecologist and recommended her own doctor.
Until then, Ang and her husband had not seriously thought about starting a family, preferring to let nature take its course. But when the gynaecologist recommended removing her uterus, the possibility of losing that choice suddenly became real.
Concerned for Ang, Tay suggested she seek a second opinion. The second doctor recommended a more conservative treatment which included taking oral medication, as well as inserting the Mirena coil, an intrauterine device that thins the uterine lining by suppressing estrogen production. This was also the approach that Ang ultimately decided on.
Ang started her treatment journey in September 2024. Knowing that the medication could bring difficult side effects, she made the decision to leave her stressful job as a senior project manager in a logistics company to focus on her recovery.
“I don’t put on weight easily. But while on medication, I went from 52kg to 68kg within a month, and my joints ached so I couldn’t move too much. I felt so ugly and didn’t want to go out,” says Ang.
The effects were not just physical, they affected her emotionally as well. She recalls breaking down in tears one night, while watching TV.
Worried about her mental well-being, her husband tried to cheer her up in every way. “We decided then that life still goes on and I should still go out, have fun, chill out, eat whatever I want, and enjoy my life,” says Ang.
Recuperating and recharging for the future
What also helped the couple to tide through the difficult period was that Ang did not have to worry about medical fees despite having quit her job.
The payout from her Critical Illness plan could tide her through what are known as the “health gap years”. These take place when one experiences a serious health condition and is not able to work during recovery, resulting in a loss of income and causing a strain on household finances.
In Prudential Singapore’s recent poll, while 67 per cent of Singaporeans expect recovery from a severe-stage critical illness to take more than a year, only 29 per cent say that their savings could cover household expenses for that long if they had no income during recovery. Only one in five Singaporeans are confident they could cover both medical bills and everyday expenses during recovery.
Ang’s insurance policies supported her in various ways during treatment and recovery.
Her Critical Illness coverage provided a lump sum upon her diagnosis, giving her the flexibility of deciding how to use this payout. Ang’s Integrated Shield Plan and supplementary plan, PRUShield and PRUExtra Premier, covered medical expenses for her three inpatient surgeries, including hospitalisation, procedures and follow-up treatment after discharge.
Tay also helped Ang navigate the claims process – particularly valuable at a time when Ang was making multiple visits to the doctor each week.
“Pauline did all the tracking for me and would update me on whether my claims were submitted or reimbursed,” says Ang. “She told me that I did not have to worry about this at all.”
For Ang, Tay’s help went beyond handling claims. Over the years, her financial representative had become a trusted friend whom she turned to for guidance during some of life’s most important decisions.
Adds Tay: “When you are diagnosed, there are already many things on your mind. You have your treatment, your family, your work… everything. You don’t need another headache figuring out paperwork.”
Over the years, Tay (right) has become Ang’s trusted friend whom she turns to for advice on some of life’s most crucial decisions.
PHOTO: PRUDENTIAL
When Tay found out that Ang’s Mirena insertion was excluded from the insurer’s list of cancer medications, she advised her client to get a written letter from her specialist. This showed that the intrauterine device was used as a part of the overall cancer treatment. In the end, Ang was able to claim about $1,200 for this alone.
Ang was pleasantly surprised how some of her claims were reimbursed several days after they were submitted. Tay ensured all the necessary documents, including medical reports and itemised bills, were submitted within the policy deadline. The payouts helped to fund her daily expenses, medication, day surgery, and follow-ups with doctors.
With treatment and finances taking up less of her mental bandwidth, Ang could gradually begin envisioning her life beyond cancer.
After her year-long treatment put her cancer in remission, Ang’s gynaecologist advised her to embark on her in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) journey. As her critical illness plans had lessened her financial burden earlier, she was able to set aside her savings for her IVF procedure last July.
For this, she is grateful that she had purchased her plans “as early as possible”.
“Health issues can start at any time without warning when you least expect it. With critical illness plans, I get peace of mind, financially and mentally.”
Agrees Tay: “When you are healthy, you will think that nothing will happen to you. But what if one day something really happens? The last thing you want to worry about is, ‘How am I going to pay for this?
“The protection is not just about paying medical bills. It gives you some breathing space as you may need time to recover and you may not be able to work. Your family may also be affected and you do not want to be a financial burden to them. Understand what you are protecting, see what you can afford, and make sure the coverage is appropriate for you.”
For Ang, being able to make plans for the future represents how far she has come since her diagnosis. But motherhood is not the only future she is planning for.
The bistro bar that she has always dreamed of owning is in the works.
“I have always wanted to open one since I was young because I love having tea and coffee,” says Ang. “This dream became stronger as I got older as I like to chill out with my friends. Having my own bistro can satisfy these needs and allow me to have a new career.”
While she is scouting a location for her new business venture, Ang adds that the bistro is her second priority.
“My first priority is now my IVF treatment,” she says.
For now, becoming a mother comes first. But whether it is starting a family or building a new career, having the financial breathing room to pursue those plans means Ang can focus on the life she wants to build from here.
Learn more about Prudential’s Critical Illness plans here.
Disclaimer:
This article is for your information only and does not consider your specific investment objectives, financial situation or needs. We recommend that you seek advice from a Prudential Financial Representative before making a commitment to purchase a policy.
This policy is protected under the Policy Owners’ Protection Scheme which is administered by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation (SDIC). Coverage for your policy is automatic and no further action is required from you. For more information on the types of benefits that are covered under the scheme as well as the limits of coverage, where applicable, please contact your insurer or visit the GIA/LIA or SDIC web-sites (www.gia.org.sg or www.lia.org.sg or www.sdic.org.sg).
This advertisement has not been reviewed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Information is correct as at Nov 6, 2026. Terms and conditions apply. All photos taken at Bloom and Boom, Bugis+.