SHE calls herself "muscular mama", and is always there for her son who has muscular dystrophy. She helps him sell snacks, handing the packets to customers and thanking them.

But behind her smile lies the pain of knowing that he is terminally ill.

She said: "I know I look strong and energetic. But if you keep talking about my son's condition, I might end up crying."

When she found out about his condition, Jia Yong looked just like any other boy. "He was plump and walking. I was devastated and could not accept it," she said.

"I didn't want to face the day my son would no longer be able to walk. After all, he was walking in front of my eyes. Which mother can accept that?"

She used to sell vegetarian food in Geylang, but gave it up to take care of Jia Yong full-time.

Every day, she bathes him, feeds him, and helps him when he needs to use the toilet. She used to take him to school and even accompanied him on excursions.

During school hours, she would wait for him in the canteen.

While most people were sympathetic to Jia Yong, she said he did not have many close friends because of his condition.

"So I must be his closest friend," she said. She showed us a photo of Jia Yong taken in June last year when he was still "round and plump" and said: "Now, he just gets thinner and thinner."

She said: "When he was younger, he would always ask me to buy him a handphone or Xbox when we went shopping for Chinese New Year.

"But when he lost his strength, he stopped asking me to buy him anything. Last year, I asked him what he wanted, and he asked me to buy him li (strength, in Chinese). It broke my heart."

In the end, she bought him a pair of Adidas spectacles. Twice a week, she takes Jia Yong to computer classes in Bishan, because she wants him to continue learning and meeting friends.

She said that selling snacks was "just for fun" and for him to "pass the time". "It's good he goes outside and meets people. It really lifts his mood," she said.

But she is painfully aware of Jia Yong's situation, and treasures the time she has left with him.

"I've become immune to the pain of his sickness. Now, as long as he is around, I refuse to let myself feel the pain."

She tries to take as many photos of him as she can, and was happy to show us photos of him in front of his computer and wearing a Christmas hat.

She still hopes that one day, there will be a cure for her son's condition.

When asked what else she hopes for, she said: "I don't want any help. Everything I do, I do for him. I'm satisfied just as long as my son is happy every day."

This article was first published in The New Paper.