The Hard Choice: Why One Entrepreneur Abandoned His Life Abroad to Care for Family

A Life Built Abroad

For many young professionals, moving abroad represents the pinnacle of personal and career growth. Viaano Spruyt, now 29, was no exception. After moving to the Gold Coast in Australia on a scholarship at age 22, he began working toward a degree in psychology with the long-term goal of becoming a clinical psychologist. Over three years, he successfully integrated into Australian culture, entered a committed relationship, and began the process of applying for permanent residency while planning for a master’s degree.

However, Spruyt’s journey as a caregiver began long before his time in Australia. As a teenager in Singapore, he served as the primary caregiver for his father, who suffered from an incurable respiratory disease. Managing his father’s daily needs, including feeding and hospital visits, was a defining experience of his youth. When his father passed away, Spruyt sought a fresh start overseas, hoping to build a future independent of those early hardships.

The Call That Changed Everything

The distance between Australia and Singapore became a source of profound anxiety when Spruyt received news of his mother’s health crisis. While walking to work, his mother, now 61, suffered a collapse due to advanced osteoarthritis, which has caused severe joint degeneration and cartilage loss in her knees. Unable to walk, she was left stranded and in pain for hours before a stranger intervened to call for medical assistance.

Spruyt later learned that his mother had attempted to call him during the incident, choosing not to reach out to his younger sister to avoid disrupting her academic exams and internship. The realization that he was thousands of miles away when his mother needed him most served as a turning point. Confronted with the vulnerability of both his mother and his aging grandparents, who are in their 80s, Spruyt decided that his presence in Singapore was non-negotiable.

Starting Over in Singapore

Returning to Singapore in 2022 was described by Spruyt as the most difficult decision of his life. The move necessitated the abandonment of his Australian career path and residency plans. The transition also placed a strain on his personal life; his girlfriend briefly relocated to Singapore to attempt to build a life together, but the relationship eventually ended.

Back in his home country, Spruyt shifted his professional focus entirely. He co-founded Huddle, an AI-powered social network for fandoms, alongside his co-founder, Fabian. He notes that entrepreneurship was not his original career trajectory, but it has become a new passion that allows him the flexibility to prioritize his family. Currently, his life is strictly balanced between his startup responsibilities and his role as a caregiver.

By taking on the day-to-day medical logistics for his mother and grandparents, Spruyt has allowed his younger sister to focus on her university education. While he hopes to eventually expand his business into the United States, he remains committed to his family obligations. Reflecting on the sacrifice, Spruyt maintains that despite the personal costs and the need to restart his life, the decision to return home is one he would make again without hesitation.

Source: businessinsider.com