quoted from The New Paper May 29, 2008
HE was admitted to the hospital for diarrhoea and died of pneumonia seven days later. Madam Jane Soh makes an offering to her late parents.
Unknown to him, his wife had a fall the day before he died and was warded at the same hospital as him.
And while in hospital, his wife also did not know about her husband's death.
She herself died three days later, also of pneumonia.
But perhaps it was fate that Mr Soh Lai Whatt, 83, and his wife of more than 60 years, Madam Chan Ah Nee, 80, met their end within a few days of each other.
Behind the double tragedy is a tender love story.
In life, the couple hardly ever went anywhere without each other.
The New Paper learnt of their love story and last days from their children. They have 11 children and 20 grandchildren.
On 11 May, Mr Soh, who suffered from nose cancer, was admitted to the Singapore
General Hospital (SGH) after having a bout of diarrhoea.
TURN FOR THE WORSE
But his condition took a turn for the worse and he died on of pneumonia on 18 May.
The day before he died, his maid had taken his wife and daughter, who are both wheelchair-bound, out to get some air. Madam Chan became wheelchair- bound after she suffered a stroke last April.
She and her husband lived in a one-room flat at Bukit Merah View with one of their daughters, 52, and youngest son, Mr Victor Soh, 47.
On that fateful day, while the maid was pushing Madam Chan's daughter into the lift, she forgot to apply the brakes on Madam Chan's wheelchair.
Mr Victor Soh told The New Paper: 'My mother rolled down a few steps, fell off her wheelchair and rolled down half a flight of steps. She couldn't move.
'She got a large cut across her forehead and broke her collarbone. She bled a lot.'
Mr Soh was out when the maid called him to tell him about the fall.
Luckily, a neighbour saw the accident and called an ambulance. Madam Chan was sent to SGH, the same hospital her husband was in.
But he did not know about his wife's fall. His children kept it from him as they did not want him to worry.
The next day, he died.
Madam Chan had not visited her husband in the hospital before her fall as it was hard for her to move around.
Their daughter, Madam Jane Soh, 49, said: 'He missed her. Whenever he asked why Mum didn't visit him, we told her she was resting.'
After Mr Soh died, the family also kept Madam Chan in the dark about his death.
'We were worried she'd give up hope if she knew Dad was gone. We'd already lost Dad, we didn't want to lose her too,' Madam Soh explained.
But the children could tell that their mother suspected something was amiss.
Their eldest son, Mr Donald Soh, 62, said: 'We think she could sense our father was gone.'
Three days later, Madam Chan died, also of pneumonia.
She had suffered complications and her death was sudden. Her children said they did not even have a chance to talk to her before she died.
Madam Soh said: 'It was really sad that we lost them both within three days of each
other.
'But we took comfort in the thought that they might as well both go together, as they loved each other so much.'
The children held a joint wake for their parents.
The couple married when Madam Chan was 16.
Madam Soh recalled: 'Mum said Dad was very attracted to her. He was persistent in
courting her and visited her daily.'
WHIRLWIND ROMANCE
It was a whirlwind romance. The couple married after less than a year's courtship.
Their children said they had always been a loving couple, even in their twilight
years.
Madam Soh said: 'When we asked either of them out, they would prefer to go out only if the other went.'
Before Madam Chan suffered a stroke, the couple often strolled around the neighbourhood together and held hands.
Madam Soh said: 'My kids marvelled at the fact that they were still holding hands at their age, and asked why my husband and I didn't do so too.'
At home, Mr Soh would often gently pat his wife's hand, while the couple sat side by
side watching television.
'We don't know whether it was their wish, or just a coincidence that they passed away within days of each other,' said Madam Soh.
'Maybe Dad wanted Mum to accompany him and is very happy with her right now.'
