[UPDATE: 10 Aug, 3.29pm] The spouse of Ms Toh has clarified that she was diagnosed with her heart condition when she was 26.
The article has been updated to reflect this.
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A woman in Singapore fainted at home three days after giving birth to her second child and tragically passed away from heart disease.
Toh Xin Ling, 38, had been diagnosed with a congenital heart condition, which carried risks if she got pregnant.
However, Ms Toh loved children and was “overjoyed” after becoming a mother.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Her siblings also described her as someone who lived life in the moment and never let her heart disease define her.
After Ms Toh’s passing, her friends came together to donate enough breast milk for the newborn to last about two to three months.
Shin Min Daily News reported that Ms Toh fainted at home on 3 Aug.
This was just a day after she came home from the hospital following the birth of the couple’s second daughter on 31 July.
At her wake last Friday (4 Aug), her husband, Mr Ang, told Lianhe Zaobao that his father-in-law had called with the bad news as he was picking his younger daughter up from the hospital.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
Mr Ang hurried home within five minutes and found that his wife had no pulse.
Paramedics then rushed her to the hospital, but she never regained consciousness.
Ms Toh’s cause of death according to her death certificate was “valvular heart disease”.
“She left us so suddenly that none of us was mentally prepared for her to leave,” Mr Ang said.
A Facebook post states that Ms Toh’s funeral took place today (7 Aug). She was cremated at 12.05pm.
Ms Toh’s sister said she was diagnosed with high blood pressure after a check-up when she was around 26 and found out she had a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV).
This means she had only two flaps instead of three, which can impede blood flow to the heart.
The fourth daughter of five siblings, Ms Toh had tried out a blood pressure monitor at home.
It was then that she discovered her blood pressure was unusually high, at 180 to 190.
She found out about her heart condition after seeing a doctor, who told her that pregnancy would carry risks.
The doctor also advised that she might have to give up having children or have an abortion due to potentially life-threatening risks.
Despite this, Ms Toh really wanted to be a mother as she came from a lively family.
She had also successfully given birth to her first child two years ago without any issues.
According to her sister, Ms Toh was always cheerful and lived life in the moment, never allowing her heart condition to define her.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
For example, even though Ms Toh couldn’t swim, she still participated in dragon boating.
She apparently told her siblings that it’d be fine because she wore a life jacket.
Ms Toh was also described as someone who was courageous and had a big heart.
“I remember when she bought a car, she’d fetch friends all the time from anywhere. She’d never refuse to pick up anyone if they asked her to drive.”
Friends described Ms Toh as an “angel” in moving tributes to her on Facebook.
“Today, you are not here with us anymore but we will always remember you as a winner, who lived like a queen all your life . . . may your soul rest in peace,” reads one post.
After Ms Toh was pronounced dead at the hospital, Mr Ang took their two-year-old daughter to bid one last farewell to her.
He said that his wife loved their eldest daughter very much.
“Although she’s still young, she saw that her mother wasn’t moving,” Mr Ang recalled. “She knew there was something different and she kept crying for her mother afterwards.”
Mr Ang said although their two daughters did not get to know their mother, he hopes they know that she loved them very much.
He also wants to let them know that their mother was kind-hearted, generous, and treated her friends with sincerity.
Mr Ang shared that many of Ms Toh’s colleagues and primary school friends visited her at her wake.
One of them even flew in from Sweden to express her condolences upon hearing of Ms Toh’s death.
Source: Facebook
At least two to three friends have contacted Mr Ang to donate breast milk to feed his youngest daughter, he added.
“My wife’s wish was that the child will grow up healthy and happy and that she could be breastfed for at least six months, so we are very touched by our friends’ kindness.”
The donated amount is enough for around two to three months. Mr Ang has also applied for donations from the human milk bank.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
“My family and I are very grateful,” he said.
He has hired a helper to take care of the children, adding that his eldest daughter will continue to attend school.
MS News sends our deepest condolences to Ms Toh’s loved ones. May she rest in peace.
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Featured image from Shin Min Daily News and Lianhe Zaobao.
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