U Care Beneficiary Norhayati Shamsudin

My name is Norhayati, I’m 37 this year. I work as a frontliner at the Singapore Red Cross as a swabber.

I have eight kids - five are mine, three are my sister’s kids, under my legal guardianship by the court. I treat them as my children. I want them to feel like they have their own parents, own siblings, like a normal family.

It's really not easy to handle them because they have different attitudes. But they are well-behaved. They help me a lot.

To supplement the family income, I also am a home baker. I do the swab tests, ART (Antigen Rapid Test) for vendors and staff at Red Cross. Then I do my home baking on Saturdays and Sundays when I'm not working.

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I had to give up my job at that time to undergo treatment. That was when i started my home business to supplement my family's income.

Staying mentally positive I think is the best medication. It wasn’t easy when I had to be in the hospital sometimes. I didn’t want my kids to worry because I wanted them to focus on their studies

I try to be positive for my children and my family. Because I believe only you can help yourself. Only you can help your family, your own children.

All I want is the best for my family.

I’m hoping my children all go to university. That is my dream. 

And for me, I will continue to work, to study. Then for my family, I hope we all get a better job, then we can buy a bigger house, and not think about how we’re going to pay for it. That is my goal.

We are also beneficiaries of the NTUC-U Care Fund. The assistance we receive definitely helps to lighten our burden.

I want to say a big thank you to the donors who donated to the NTUC-U Care Fund. It has really helped us, it has really helped my children.