Hi, my name is Karthy and I'm fundraising for my mom Seva during a particularly difficult time for our family.

As part of her annual routine, my Mom headed to Malaysia in December to visit our family back home. We had just celebrated my birthday a couple of weeks prior and even got a final catering gig done for Bungkus. We talked about all the plans we had together when she would get back in February: celebrating the launch of our sambal and her being able to see her first product on store shelves; our next offerings with Bungkus, the places we'd go to in the Spring and the things we would do; the recipes she would teach me when she got back. We said bye to her at the airport, thinking this was just another trip as usual and that we'd see her again in February. That was the plan. However, life had a different plan for us...

Two weeks into her trip, just two days after celebrating her 89th birthday, my grandma passed away. While grieving for her mom, my Mom, being the eldest sibling of 6 would be with her siblings during the prayers and funeral rites. A few days later, she began to feel sick. She had flu-like symptoms - headaches, fever, coughing, fatigue and loss of appetite. We thought, after some medicine and trips to the doctor to get her checked out, things would improve. They did not...

After two weeks of her condition only getting worse, she was taken to the hospital to get another check done to see why she wasn't getting any better. That's when she was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). She was then admitted and my older brother, while trying to hold back tears, gave me the call to let me know what was going on. I then immediately booked a one way ticket and arrived to be with her a couple of days later, and would stay for the next 3 months.

My Mom Seva is the strongest person I know. When she broke her arm looking out for me as a kid instead of the ice beneath, she didn't listen to doctors and was back to working within a week. When she had her knee surgery and was told she'd be out for 6 weeks during recovery, she fought and was back to walking without help in 2. When people saw her at our Bungkus market events, they were amazed seeing her work and cook while not being in her prime and all with a big smile to boot. It was so fulfilling to see the look on her face when customers would thank her for her delicious food. So after a lifetime of seeing my Mom as this pillar of strength, it's been heartbreaking to say the least, to see her in the current condition she's in and see everything change so drastically. The treatments are incredibly painful and taxing on her body, the recovery and side affects are brutal, and especially due to her age, the doctors advised that her progress will all depend on how much she can handle but that there is no definitive answers they can give on whether she'll be okay or not. She's still fighting the best she can.

During this difficult time, my family and I would be forever grateful if you were able to donate whatever you can to help cover some expenses. The funds would go towards helping with things like her chemo medication (not covered), caretakers, vitamins and supplements, and travel expenses for me to be able to visit her as she continues treatments in Malaysia.

A note: I know it may be cliche to say, but time really is the most expensive currency and it's something we can never earn more of. If I've learned anything during these past few months, it's that while we're so busy in our day-to-day, we must not forget to make necessary time to spend with our loved ones. As a solopreneur, I've spent the last few years working beyond my capacity - often too tired or working to make it for most events, and the years have flown by. It's a sacrifice I see too often these days. What happened with my Mom is a tough reminder that many of the things we perceive as important or essential to having a better life just isn't when you can't spend it with the people you care about the most.