--- title: "She survived breast cancer, runs a pole dance business and became an embalmer: Meet Jasmine Han" url: "/community-voices/she-survived-breast-cancer-runs-pole-dance-business-and-became-embalmer-meet-jasmine-han" published: "2026-11-01T08:05:08.000Z" updated: "2026-11-01T08:08:49.000Z" section: "Community Voices" authors: ["Syazana Hishamuddin"] tags: ["cancer","pole dancing","entrepreneur","cancer survivor","TNP News"] --- # She survived breast cancer, runs a pole dance business and became an embalmer: Meet Jasmine Han At 48, Jasmine Han operates at a pace few can match. She is a trained biologist, the founder of MAD Collection dance studio, a published author, a certified embalmer and a novice drummer — all while being a breast cancer survivor. When asked how she balances a life so densely packed with diverse pursuits, she broke into a smile. “I’ve got three trains in my brain. A tram, an MRT, and a Shinkansen. But there are 400 tracks in this brain,” Han explained. She elaborated that if one of those “tracks” slowed down or stopped, the others would keep going — alluding to her energetic nature. Speaking to Stomp at her studio in Robinson Road, the quick-witted entrepreneur and mother of two reflected on her colourful journey before and after beating cancer. ## From biologist to pole dancer Han’s career path was never linear. After earning a degree in biology in the United States and returning to Singapore, where she worked briefly as a pub waitress, her transition into the dance world began almost entirely by accident. “A friend of mine wanted to lose weight after she had a baby,” Han recalled. “So she said, ‘Let’s go pole dancing.’ I’m the sort of person who would say yes to everything. “So I said, ‘Ok’.” She took a class at local dance studio Jitterbugs Swingapore, and by her second lesson, she knew she had found her calling. She immediately asked the instructor if she could train to teach. Han then shadowed her instructor and, after a year, travelled to Australia to check out the local pole dancing scene. Together with her mentor, she brought the very first Bobbi’s Pole Studio franchise to Singapore, which would eventually become MAD Collection. Han is now the co-founder, overseeing three studio spaces which offer various classes throughout the week. ## Miscarriage and cancer diagnosis While her entrepreneurial journey had a whirlwind beginning, her health took an unexpected turn. In 2018, while trying for a third child, Han suffered a miscarriage. Aware of her family history of breast cancer — both her mother and grandmother had been diagnosed — she scheduled a comprehensive health screening, knowing her age could have also been a factor. “They found a lump in my left breast,” she recalled. “Thank goodness I went for the checkup. It was a blessing in disguise.” ![jasmine han breast cancer survivor pole dance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/ff661a38eb440f63305d4cc23c74b1f4b5cc99b76325808506747b2da51959ab) *Han found out she had cancer soon after facing a miscarriage.* The delivery of the diagnosis was swift and brutal. After spotting a suspicious area on her X-ray scan, Han’s doctor immediately knew it “didn’t look good”. Han was also told that she would never be able to have children again as the chemotherapy treatment would “wipe everything out”. “I felt as if a lorry hit me in the face,” she said sadly. “I sat outside the room and I got a whole box of tissue, crying. Everyone’s around me just walking past wondering, ‘Oh my god, is this woman going to die?’” Just 10 days later, Han underwent a mastectomy to remove the lump. She took a month to recover from the surgery before beginning chemotherapy. Yet, even amid what she feared was a “death diagnosis”, her first thoughts were of her children. “I was scared, but the first thing I thought about was thank goodness it’s not my children. Thank goodness it’s me, because I knew I could take it,” she shared. ## Facing the unknown Despite her resilience, the overwhelming uncertainty of treatment took a heavy emotional and physical toll. By her second round of chemotherapy, Han had lost so much weight that she was down to just 43kg. She had also lost all her hair. Amid the turmoil she didn’t realise until much later that she had forgotten to disable the pregnancy app she had installed when she first found out she was expecting her third child. “I was just looking at myself in the mirror wondering ‘Who is this woman?’ and my app beeped. It said, ‘Congratulations, today’s the day your baby is going to be born’. “I went down to the floor and I just cried.” ![jasmine han breast cancer survivor pole dance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/150a5a9d4f2244443a72bf748e21a99ab08ad30d58796c8bff7fc156309d2fed) *Han lost weight drastically and lost all her hair by the second chemotherapy session.* It was a painful reminder of how drastically her life had changed in just a few months — from expecting another child, to suddenly undergoing gruelling cancer treatment. Even while facing such a life-changing ordeal, her main concern remained protecting her loved ones. When she received news of her diagnosis, she struggled to inform those around her and even consulted her therapist on the best way to break the news. “I was so concerned about (my loved ones) being sad and devastated. I just wanted people around me to be okay.” When she told her children — who were in primary school at the time — about her illness, she reassured them that their grandmother would take good care of them. This lifted their spirits, as they knew they would be doted on despite the circumstances. Han still found it important to “be human” in front of her children during such a difficult time. She recalled an occasion when she was exhausted and having “diarrhoea in adult diapers” while driving them around. Overwhelmed, she “parked at the side to rest” and explained: “Hey, Mummy just needs five minutes to collect myself and then we’ll drive home.” ![jasmine han breast cancer survivor pole dance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/46f7546df6b12b112580cba47eafcf0c9971208f38ae53da8a434fb304c45505) *Throughout her ordeal, Han’s main concern remained protecting her loved ones. * Besides being a well-loved grandmother to her children, Han’s mother was also a pillar of strength, pulling her through her darkest days. “My mum has gone through so much in life, nothing shocks her anymore,” Han said. “She’s a single mum, had (multiple) jobs while bringing up me and my brother single-handedly (and) climbing the corporate ladder. So, I thank my mother. She’s my rock in my life.” ## Dealing with cancer while running a business While juggling chemotherapy and running her dance studio, Han admitted that she faced numerous day-to-day challenges due to the treatment’s side effects. “Before, I would be so witty. I would think fast. But during my chemotherapy days, I became slower in my speech, slower in my thinking, slower to respond,” she shared. She also struggled with pole dance moves that once came easily to her. Once she was cleared to resume more physical activity, she had to retrain herself in movements such as back bends and splits to avoid injury. ![jasmine han breast cancer survivor pole dance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/2838ed87c305b08c79e18234591225bf888d0d0b17dc5e1f3d4eb365e001a264) *Han is back in the studio and strong as ever.* ## Lives ‘6 months at a time’ Eight years on, Han is now in remission. However, she believes no one can ever really be “cancer-free” preferring the term “cancerless”. She lives day-to-day with a pragmatic attitude, attending regular six-monthly check-ups involving scans, tumour markers and cholesterol tests. “(When I’m done) I just say thank you so much, go on and be grateful for the next six months. So I live my life six months at a time.” Despite everything she has endured, her appetite for learning and new experiences has not slowed. She is now working on her second book and took up drumming last year. Expanding on her background in biology, she also enrolled in an intensive programme in the United Kingdom to become a certified embalmer. ![jasmine han breast cancer survivor pole dance](https://cassette.sphdigital.com.sg/image/stomp/c66e36e4940cedfd56e24269665d93db66ddd4684d3c5245cac4aefa861c2a85) *She is now certified with the British Institute of Embalmers.* Having always wanted to work in the funeral industry, Han saw embalming as an opportunity to put her scientific background to use while helping the deceased retain their dignity. She spent nearly three years completing coursework, examinations and practical training, during which she worked on close to 100 cases, including those involving traumatic deaths. Despite the nature of the work, she said she was neither afraid nor uncomfortable. “Both are just as challenging,” she said when asked to compare embalming with pole dancing. “It’s just in one side, the client speaks and on the other end, your client doesn’t speak.” Facing her own mortality head-on also provided clarity on how she views death. “(After) having cancer, I’ve done up my will,” she said, adding that she wants the best for her loved ones and doesn’t want to “leave a mess behind”. Through her miscarriage, cancer diagnosis, and intense road to recovery, Han has maintained an optimistic and cheerful disposition. Above all, she has never lost sight of what matters most to her. “I wake up every morning, I love life. I (just) want to make sure my children, my partner, my mum, my family are okay. “I’m so grateful that I’ve got two legs, two hands, two eyes. And I’m safe.”