Support Sunny Tai's Memorial, Long Term Walmart Associate

In the memory of Siew (Sunny) Tai. My sister Sunny struggled with cancer for over 10 years. She was a very strong and private woman who never wanted anyone to feel sorry for her, so she rarely mentioned this long, difficult, and painful journey. She had breast cancer, uterine cancer, melanoma cancer, and went through many treatments and surgeries. As of Oct 2024, her MRIs were still showing no cancer. Like a lightning strike out of the blue, we found out that her cancer may have returned at Mercy Hospital after she was admitted for what we thought was a kidney stone or appendicitis on Jan 27. We immediately went to MD Anderson in Houston, which had handled all her cancer treatments. They tried to save her, but her cancer was too aggressive. We do not really know what type actually caused her death as she did not want to do an autopsy. From the day we found out at Mercy till the day she passed was exactly 3 weeks. We had to stay an extra 10 days to get her cremated before bringing her home to NWA.

My sister was really young, and she really wanted to fight, and she did try chemo, but the cancer was just too aggressive. I watched her for 3 days and nights, suffering the pain despite the painkillers, the difficulty in breathing despite the oxygen tube. Finally, I told her if it’s too much, then let go. She had fought long and hard, but it’s time to rest. It hurt so much to say those words, but she had promised me to fight. I didn’t want her to continue fighting if death was the only outcome and prolonging it only extended the pain she was experiencing. My sister was clear-minded till the very end. She couldn’t speak, but she could hear and understand. I told her to let go of her worries, and I will take care of everything here. She knew that friends and family were on their way to see her, some who made it and some who didn’t, and that many people were praying for her and our family. She passed in peace with our immediate family with her. My sister didn’t want a funeral; she just wanted things simple, as was her nature. She was a wonderful person, aptly named Sunny as she brought sunshine to a lot of people’s lives. As I notified friends, I was awed by the number of people who wanted to celebrate her life, the childhood friends whom she had kept in touch for over 40 years, and the many people who share how she had changed their lives. She loved to mentor and impart knowledge and helped many in their careers through her 28 years of service with Walmart, both domestically and internationally. She was hardworking and very smart, graduating from UT San Antonio in 3.5 years with a double degree in International Business and Music Marketing and a 3.89 GPA. She also had a Master of Science in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

She was the best sister in the world, who doted on me, her little sister, and a very devoted daughter who took care of our mom, who has beginning dementia, well. She also left behind our older brother, three nieces, as well as several godparents who are dealing with this sudden loss. The loss of my sister has devastated my family as she was the pillar of the family who cared for everyone. For me, she was often called my twin, we lived together for 40 years and had planned our retirement together. The loss of her is overwhelming but as I have promised her and the many people who cares about me, I will take one step at a time and one day at a time while we come to terms with this unexpected loss.

Thank you to everyone who has sent food and flowers so far. We are overwhelmed with gratitude. We ask that you please donate to this fund instead, which will help with all the expenses incurred during her last days as well as end-of-life expenses. Anything leftover will be donated for cancer research. Or go plant some trees in her memory; she loved redbud and magnolia trees and iris as well as peonies. You are also welcome to plant in our plot of land next to our house which will be left in her memory.

Thank you again for everyone’s care and concern during this difficult time!

Tai family

Please contact me if you would like to attend her celebration of life but did not receive the information.