Meet Filmer

A story behind Filmer's passion for cakes

An alumnus of Rainbow Centre, Filmer Tan was born with pilocytic astrocytoma, a rare form of brain tumour, and has undergone five major surgeries. His father Mr Galvin Tan switched to a job with flexible hours as a cab driver to spend more time caring for his son. Noting Filmer’s passion for cakes as a teen, Mr Tan learnt how to bake chiffon cakes from scratch, passing on his skills to his son. And together with his wife, they started Filmer’s Chiffon Cakes, a home business supported by Rainbow Centre’s Micro Business Academy for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Filmer’s limited ability with his left hand posed several challenges, such as cutting fruits, cracking an egg or folding the batter. Mr Tan went out of his way to source for suitable equipment to help him with the tasks. Months of experimenting and practice later, Filmer can now handle 70% of the entire baking process.

Mr Tan’s ultimate aim is for Filmer to gain not only financial independence, but to also be independent in the kitchen— perhaps Filmer could one day cook a full meal for himself. “I try not to hold him back from opportunities to learn. I believe that parents of children with special needs need to be open-minded and explore options for them.”