The family of a 70-year-old “Yakult auntie” had to make the tough decision to unplug her life support as she lay comatose after being punched by a man in Sengkang.
This was because she had previously asked them to do so should anything happen to her, her eldest son told Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
The Yakult auntie, named only as Mdm Ou (transliterated from Mandarin), became a widow at the age of 33 when her husband died from cancer in 1987.
Her 43-year-old eldest son said he was only six at the time, and his younger sister and brother were just four and less than one year old respectively.
His mother was forced to play the role of both parents to the three young children, working three jobs to support the family.
While she’d worked part-time at an electronics factory in Ang Mo Kio before their father died, afterwards she found jobs like sewing clothes and cleaning so that she could work and take care of her children at the same time, he added.
In 1991, she started being a “Yakult auntie” and would deliver Yakult at night after sewing clothes in the morning and cleaning houses in the afternoon.
She even started cleaning a tuition teacher’s house while her children would be tutored at the same place.
Two months ago, Mdm Ou celebrated her 70th birthday, her son said.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Despite her age, she continued working four days a week, leaving the house at about 7pm and returning by 9.30pm.
Her son, who is the sales manager of a chemical company, asked her to retire many times but she didn’t want to be idle.
He regretted not being able to bring her on holiday to Europe, which he’d intended to do after she retired.
After Mdm Ou was assaulted while making a delivery at Block 272B Sengkang Central on 29 Oct, she was in critical condition in the hospital, the son said.
Doctors had said that even if she underwent surgery, she would not return to how she was like before.
Instead, she would be bedridden for the rest of her life.
While his sister and other relatives insisted on the operation, he remembered what his mother had previously told him, he said.
She had a hard life since young and experienced too many separations in life, including the death of her husband, she had said.
Thus, if anything happened to her, she didn’t want to be put on life support just to prolong her life.
Her son had promised to let her go no matter what, so they reluctantly made the decision to remove her tubes.
She passed away shortly after that on 6 Nov.
Residents who knew Mdm Ou have expressed sadness at her passing.
A contributor on Reddit said she was his “whole childhood” and would brighten his family’s day by “always smiling”.
Source: Reddit
Another resident said he’d been buying Yakult from her for years since his daughter was a baby till now when she’s a Primary 1 student.
Mdm Ou would come to their door every Tuesday at about 8pm and the girl would rush to the door. She also learnt how to make a purchase in cash thanks to her.
Source: Reddit
Dr Elmie Nekmat, a People’s Action Party representative for Sengkang GRC, said in a Facebook post that it was “painful” to see her lying in a coma in the Intensive Care Unit.
Calling her “Auntie Jasmine”, he said she was well-loved by neighbours for always smiling and wishing them well. He also admired her for her “strong spirit and tenacity in life”.
Source: Elmie Nekmat on Facebook
She will be missed, he said, adding:
You are in a better place now. May you rest in peace.
The 30-year-old alleged attacker was charged in court on 15 Nov, reported Shin Min.
According to the Singapore Courts hearing list, an individual named Lim Chuan Xun was charged with a criminal offence during a hearing at 9am.
He was remanded and his case was set to be mentioned in court again on Friday (22 Nov) at 9am.
Also read: Elderly Man Loses 3 Teeth After Getting Punched By Stranger In Tampines 1 Lift, Police Reports Filed
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and Elmie Nekmat on Facebook.
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