Daughter Of Leon Jay Williams Drew Him A Card After His Thyroid Cancer Diagnosis & Played Card Games With Him In The Hospital

Singaporean actor Leon Jay Williams revealed yesterday (Dec 8) that he has stage two thyroid cancer.

The 49-year-old took to his Instagram to address the news, sharing that he had found out about his condition in August.  

"My whole world crumbled in those early days of uncertainty. After the reaIity set in, I just decided to face the consequences positively and go through the process of getting better," wrote Leon.

"After two surgeries, some radiation therapy and an interesting scar as a souvenir, things are looking up and the battle is won for now, but the war with Cancer isn’t over," added Leon. 

In an interview with Chinese media vibes by 8world, the actor shared that he began experiencing lower-back soreness after returning from a trip to Bali four months ago.

Though an examination at the hospital showed no abnormalities, the doctor recommended a full body check-up, and after undergoing an MRI, they unexpectedly discovered a three-cm malignant tumour on his thyroid.

Leon was devastated when he first saw the report, and that the first thing that came to his mind was: "Will I get to see my daughter grow up?" 

The actor and his Taiwanese wife, Joyce, have a 10-year-old daughter named Harper. 

When 8days.sg reached out to the actor, he responded through his manager that his family knew about his condition from the start and that he "couldn’t have gone through the recovery without their support".

While his wife and mother took turns cooking healthy meals for him, his daughter also drew him a card and played card games with him while he was in hospital.

Although Harper is very mature for her age, Leon said he doesn't want her to "grow up too fast", which is why he's trying his best to stay happy and positive. 

Leon is still planning family trips with his daughter to keep their daily life as normal as possible, and they are now holidaying in Hokkaido. 

"His motivation was a ski trip that was planned before his diagnosis. In order to not disappoint his daughter by cancelling the trip, he did all he could to stay fit once he was recovering," said the manager. 

In September 2025, Leon underwent two surgeries to remove two tumours — one measuring 3 cm and the other 1.1 cm.

"Right now, about 99 per cent of the tumour has been removed, but there’s still fear that it may spread. Nodules have already shown up in the lungs, so follow-up monitoring and treatment are still needed," he revealed. 

So how has his recovery been?

"Everything is stable now with Leon having to take daily medicine for life and monthly blood tests to monitor the cancer situation," said the manager. 

She assured that the actor is 90 per cent recovered — though he lost 3kg — and has been working out, though with more caution. 

"He was not able to do normal activities for about three to four months previously. He will be looking to go back to work in January," said the manager. 

As for his treatment plan, Leon shared that he has completed all necessary procedures for his thyroid — including two surgeries and a round of radiation therapy.

He will now undergo monthly follow-up checks to monitor his condition and watch for any signs of spread.

Looking ahead, Leon hopes to return to his usual routine, including work in China and overseas. However, he plans to reduce his time away from home, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.