The Singapore Health Inspirational Patient and Caregiver Awards is an annual award which honours individuals for their strength, courage and resilience in the face of healthcare challenges. It is also a platform to recognise outstanding patient support groups that have provided invaluable support to our patients and caregivers.
For the past 11 years, Mdm Chee had been taking care of her mother, never spending a day apart, till her mother passed away last year at the ripe old age of 101. Despite the many sacrifices she made for her mother, she is simply thankful for being able to take care of her mother and for all the good memories created with her.
Mdm Helen Chee Chin KEAT, 58
For the past 11 years, I took care of my mother, Mdm Chung Swee Heng, until she passed away last year at the ripe old age of 101. She was the bright light in my life, and I remember her fondly every day.
My mother was a strong and independent person. She took care of herself and cooked meals for the family till she was in her 80s. But after a fall in 2007, she gradually became frailer and needed a walking frame to move around. She was also put on long-term warfarin as she had deep vein thrombosis.
My elder sister and I lived with our mother. As both of us were working, we hired a domestic helper to take care of her. Within a week, my mother complained that the helper had been ill-treating her and she asked if I could take care of her instead.
It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I eventually quit my job as a kindergarten teacher to stay home to take care of our mother. I did it out of love for my mother and because I knew that she really wanted my company. My siblings were also supportive and agreed to chip in with financial support.
Although my mother became weaker after the fall, she was generally healthy otherwise. Her memory was good and she had perfect eyesight. As far as possible, I tried to let her manage her own daily activities to keep her physically and mentally active. Diet-wise, I had to make sure she didn’t take food with vitamin K such as green leafy vegetables as that would interfere with her warfarin medication.
For the past 11 years, we never spent a day apart. Our days were spent chatting, joking and eating together. Although my mother never received any formal education, she had a love for drawing. I bought her a whiteboard and marker and she would enjoy drawing things that she saw like birds, flowers and food.
In October 2017, my mother was hospitalised with a urinary tract infection and lung infection which subsequently progressed to pneumonia. After staying in the hospital for a month, she insisted on going home despite the doctor’s advice that she should stay hospitalised. During her last month at home, she was bed-bound and gradually grew weaker each day till she passed away on Christmas Eve last year.
From the time she was hospitalised in October till her passing, I was so worried and busy taking care of her that I fell sick and lost more than 10kg. Till today, I still miss her so much and it has been hard to come to terms that she is no longer around. Memories of my mother would sometimes overwhelm me when I am in the room that I used to share with her.
Looking back, it has been a blessing for me to be able to take care of my mother and I am thankful for all the memories. I hope to find a job at the elderly day care centre near my place as I want to help other elderly people.
