Terminally ill find respite in creative pursuits

At just 28 years old, Mr Muhammad Afif Yusli is dying.

- Venessa Lee

Diagnosed with glioblastoma, a Grade 4 brain tumour, in April 2024, he has endured seizures, piercing pain, stabbing headaches, depression, memory difficulties and a period when he was unable to walk and talk. The average survival rate for this aggressive form of brain cancer is between 12 and 18 months.

Referring to "all the calamities" he has experienced even as he underwent hospitalisation, chemotherapy and surgery, he says: "It's a test of life, how much you want to be in this life, how much you can 'tahan' (bear). You have to keep fighting. Don't give up, you're still alive."

He has a final wish: to make a short film about his cancer experience.

"I've always wanted to make a film. My dream is to become a filmmaker," says Mr Afif, who is on hiatus from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), where he was pursuing a diploma course in screen media. "When I watched something, I would dream about it, about how I would make it in my own way, imagining a piece of music in a scene. I was always dreaming."

"The film is about my journey, but it's also urging people not to give up. The main point is to tell other cancer patients not to give up hope. As long as you're alive, you can do a lot of things," he says.

Mr Afif is the eldest of three children. His father is a security guard and his mother is a former retail associate who quit her job in 2024 to care for him full-time. They are both in their late 50s.

Early in 2025, Mr Afif and some friends filmed their first and only scene so far, in a consultation room.

Shortly after, he was hospitalised again in February and his doctors discovered new tumours within his spinal cord. He now has to use a wheelchair and is having physiotherapy to regain movement. He is raising funds for his treatment at an online crowd-funding page (str.sg/uv9C).