Girl, 11, who wrote songs to pay for eye surgery to see again

SINGAPORE - She was crying for almost an hour.

Afraid of going for her eye operation, Adelyn Koh, 11, had to be reassured by her mother, Ms Mary Lim, 39, that it would be alright.

Adelyn, the musical talent who teamed up with Singapore Idol 3 winner Sezairi Sezali for a Mandarin duet for the President's Star Charity in October last year, underwent a complex surgery on her right eye on Wednesday.

In September, The New Paper reported that the girl had composed songs to raise funds for her eye operation, which was expected to cost about $40,000 per eye.

She had composed four songs and put them into a CD for sale.

Adelyn was born with opaque corneas, or Peter's Anomaly, a rare congenital eye disease. She had gone through four unsuccessful corneal transplants before she turned one.

These corneal transplants were natural, but Adelyn's body had rejected them.

Before her latest operation, Adelyn could make out only lights and shadows.

Last year, Ms Lim discovered a procedure called Boston Keratoprosthesis (Boston Kpro).

According to Associate Professor Leonard Ang, 42, the Boston Kpro is an operation which replaces a diseased cornea with a clear, artificial cornea.

Prof Ang, who is the medical director and senior consultant at The Eye & Cornea Transplant Centre, operated on Adelyn.

The surgery took place at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital at 3.30pm. Only Adelyn's right eye was operated upon.

If all goes well, Adelyn will go for an operation on her left.

"The complex eye surgery was successfully completed in 21/2 hours.

"The aim of the operation was to give Adelyn some vision so that she can be more independent in her daily activities and lead a more normal life," said Prof Ang.

Prof Ang also said that the Boston Kpro operation is particularly useful for restoring vision in patients with severe blinding corneal diseases or those with previous failed corneal transplants.

Adelyn, who returned home from hospital yesterday at 1.30pm, will have her first follow-up session today.

The New Paper visited Adelyn and her mother at their home in Punggol on Thursday.

Although she had gone through a major operation under general anaesthesia just 24 hours earlier, Adelyn was very lively.

"Before I went for the op, I was very afraid as I did not know what was going to happen.

"I spent about 40 minutes crying and I was comforted by my mother and nurses," shared Adelyn.

Fear 

She said she was fearful of being put under because she did not know exactly what it was, so she asked many people about it before her operation.

"I was scared of the feeling that you would get once they gave you the chemicals to make you fall asleep. It was strange," she said.

Ms Lim said that whether Adelyn can have full eyesight remains to be seen.

She said: "I'm not asking for much, I just hope that her condition improves. I hope that the operation would make a difference (to Adelyn's eyesight)."

The girl is using an eye patch on her right eye to prevent her from rubbing it. She needs eye drops every few hours.

Adelyn, who composes classical tunes, has nearly completed her fifth song and is working on her sixth.

The family is selling Adelyn's music CD at $10.

All proceeds go to Adelyn's medical treatment.

Those interested in Adelyn's story can visit adelynxinhui.blogspot.sg.

You can e-mail Ms Lim for CD orders at mary1668@yahoo.com.

Struck with lymphoma cancer at 23

SINGAPORE - June 2009 started out like any other school holiday for Mr Raymond Tan.

Then 23 years old, he had just finished his third year in theatre studies at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and was lazing about at home and hanging out with friends.

He had one more year to go before graduating. He had no idea what he wanted to do after that but he was not overly worried. Life stretched out in front of him and things would just fall on his lap, he thought.

He was, however, feeling a little down because his 80-year-old grandmother, who had raised him, died at the end of May that year. She was diagnosed with stomach cancer about six months earlier. He comforted himself with the thought that she had led a long and relatively happy life.

But it turned out that his grandmother's death was not the only bad news to hit him that school holiday. Something else happened which changed his world forever.

On the third day of his grandmother's wake, he woke up with a throbbing pain in his chest.

When it would not go away after he took painkillers, he went to see the family doctor, who found nothing but advised him to go to the hospital's accident and emergency department.

He said: "I felt a bit worried. I thought I was on the verge of a heart attack. My father has a history of heart disease while my grandfather died many years ago from a heart attack."

But at the hospital, he was not prepared for what he saw on the X-ray of his chest. He said: "There was a black mass about the size of my fist near my heart."

The doctor told him it was likely to be cancer.

The next three days, as he waited for the result of the biopsy, were the closest he felt to death because he did not know how serious his condition was.

Depression 

When the results came back, he was somewhat relieved.

The doctor told him he had an aggressive form of lymphoma cancer called mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma, which was growing on the lymph nodes in his chest. The rare cancer tends to occur in the young.

It was at a relatively early stage as the cancer had not spread beyond the lymph nodes.

The good news was, mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma tends to respond well to treatment.

Over the next six months, he went through six cycles of aggressive chemotherapy, once every two weeks, followed by 20 rounds of daily radiotherapy.

When his hair came out in clumps after the first chemotherapy cycle, he shaved it off. His worst experience came after the third cycle.

Mr Tan, who describes himself as a fairly optimistic person, said the nausea and vomiting was so bad he sank into depression.

He said: "I was vomiting every few hours. I couldn't hold down any food except for a piece of bread or biscuit." Negative thoughts abounded.

He said: "I thought about my peers going on with school and wondered why this had to happen to me."

As his illness had occurred during an outbreak of influenza, his mother, a 62-year-old administrative clerk, forbade him from having visitors to prevent him from catching the flu from them.

Mr Tan resented the isolation and having to depend on everyone else. He had to be accompanied each time he went for a chemotherapy session. One of the chemotherapy drugs made his head feel prickly, almost as if he had eaten too much wasabi.

His mother took unpaid leave for his first two weeks of treatment and then for each of his chemotherapy sessions.

She lost almost as much weight as he did as a result of exhaustion and worry. After she went back to work, his aunt came by every day to cook lunch and dinner for him.

Touched by the concern of those around him, he slowly emerged from his depression.

His twin brother, who was then studying economics at NUS, would tell him jokes and show him funny videos to make him laugh. His father, a 69-year-old operations manager, and his sister, a 32-year-old senior executive, would often ask about his health.

Whenever possible, they also took turns to drive him to the hospital for his check-ups.

Slowly, he started to feel stronger and was able to go for radiotherapy on his own.

When it all ended, his doctor said he had responded well. Six months after his diagnosis, he was able to go back to school for his final year of studies and graduated in December 2010.

He now works as a relief teacher in a secondary school and writes movie reviews for magazines as a sideline.

But he wants to do more. He is now pursuing a master's degree in counselling, something which he had considered but did not pursue until now.

His goal is to be a counsellor who works with young people or other cancer survivors.

He said: "Having cancer makes you very focused on what you want in life. You realise that your time here is limited. There is a sense of urgency and you don't muck around anymore, waiting for things to fall on your lap."

His diet and lifestyle have also undergone a change. He pays attention to what he eats.

He said: "I eat more greens and I think twice about eating fast food, ice cream or fried hawker food such as char kway teow."

Regular exercise is now part of his life, when it did not use to be. He goes to the gym twice a week for about an hour each time during which he jogs on the treadmill and does weight-lifting.

He said: "To prevent a relapse, I have to live healthily and responsibly. I cannot afford to take chances."

Disease which mainly affects the young

Mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma is a rare form of lymphoma cancer, accounting for about 2 to 3 per cent of all lymphomas, according to the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS).

For unknown reasons, it tends to occur in young people aged 25 to 40.

It leads to swelling of the thymus gland and lymph nodes in the mediastinum.

This is the part of the body inside the chest, between the lungs and behind the breast bone.

Symptoms are breathlessness and discomfort in the chest.

It is a high-grade lymphoma, which means it grows rapidly and needs to be treated immediately.

The good news is it responds well to treatment, which is usually a few chemotherapy drugs combined with a monoclonal antibody, a class of agents that target specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells and stimulates the body’s immune system to destroy these cells.

The NCCS found that after treatment, more than 80 per cent of its patients remained in remission after five years.

Mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma belongs to group of lymphoma called diffuse large B-cell lypmphoma, which is the most common type of lymphoma cancer in Asia.

Lymphoma cancer is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s immune system that helps fight infection. The lyphmatic system includes the thymus gland and the lymph nodes.

Lymphoma cancer, of which non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is the most common, happens when lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell found in the lymphatic system) grow in an uncontrolled way.
There are two main types of lymphocytes – B-cells and T-cells.

Cancer involving B-cell lymphocytes are more common.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common type of aggressive non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Source: Associate Professor Lim Soon Thye, the deputy head and senior consultant at the department of medical oncology at the National Cancer Centre Singapore
 
On Nov 18, the 26-year-old will be taking part in Run For Hope, a fund-raising event for cancer patients.

While cancer is not a good thing in itself, he said it has taught him invaluable lessons. He said: "I appreciate my family more and I am more empathetic towards people in general."

RUN FOR HOPE 

Join a 3.5km or 10km run to raise funds for NCC Research Fund, which is managed by National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Details
Date: Sunday, Nov 18
Location: The Padang, 7am 
Price: $45 for an adult; $25 for a child/youth aged five to 18; Buddies special ($80 for two adults); Group special (20 adults or more - $35 each). 
Children below the age of four have free entry.

Sign up or donate on Runforhopesingapore.org 

Cancer drug helps multiple sclerosis patients, trials show

PARIS: A drug initially developed to treat some types of cancer now appears to help people suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), a study said Thursday.

The drug, alemtuzumab, proved effective in patient trials at reducing relapses -- a key feature of MS which sees symptoms appear sporadically.

In one trial, patients who received the drug "were nearly half as likely to relapse within two years than those who received interferon", the most commonly-used MS drug, said a statement by The Lancet medical journal which published the research.

A second trial had similar results.

The outcome "offers the prospect of substantial improvement in quality of life and a better future for thousands of people with MS," said Alastair Compston from the University of Cambridge, principal investigator on both studies.

Many MS patients already use alemtuzumab, even though it has not been licenced for this purpose.

Both trials were Phase III, which is the final testing stage in a process to vet a new drug. Together, the two involved some 1,400 patients.

About 100,000 people in Britain and about 400,000 in the United States are believed to suffer from MS, which sees the immune system attacking the body's own nerve fibres.

This affects vision, movement, balance, sensation, bladder control and eventually also memory and thinking.

About 85 percent of patients start with a form of the disease known as "relapsing remitting" MS, with symptoms appearing sporadically (a relapse) before fading away again.

There is no cure, and existing drugs seek to reduce symptoms, said the statement. Success of a drug is measured by a reduction in the frequency of relapses.

The researchers found that alemtuzumab, licenced to treat leukaemia, appeared to increase the risk of certain auto-immune disorders, particularly those affecting the thyroid, but said these could be treated effectively.

The Lancet, in an editorial, said the results were encouraging but added that there were concerns that licencing the drug for MS may lead to a rise in cost.

"More effective, affordable, evidence-based treatments with long-term benefits are desperately needed," it said.

"Finding promising treatments such as alemtuzumab is important. But so is keeping alemtuzumab accessible and affordable if its early success in these trials proves to be of enduring value."

Regulatory authorities in the US and Europe are likely to approve the drug for MS use during the course of 2013, according to University of Cambridge spokeswoman Genevieve Maul.

1 in 2 S'porean adults will have Type 2 diabetes by 2050

SINGAPORE - By 2050, one in two adults in Singapore will suffer from Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime.

These projected figures were obtained from a pilot project conducted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) earlier this year.

The project is based on a simulation model called the Demographic Epidemiological Model of Singapore (Demos).

The model forecasts the impact of diseases which affect the country and how public-health intervention can mitigate it.

About 400,000 Singaporeans, or 11.3 per cent of the population, were diabetic in 2010, said NUS. Type 2, or adult-onset, diabetes is linked to a person's diet and lifestyle.

It occurs when the body becomes more resistant to insulin - a hormone produced by the pancreas that allows the body's cells to use blood glucose for energy - and the cells that store and release insulin start to fail.

Demos takes into account aspects that have been found to have a link to diabetes, such as obesity and genetics.

The launch of Demos was announced yesterday at the inaugural two-day Singapore International Public Health Conference, jointly organised by SSHSPH and the Chapter of Public Health and Occupational Physicians, Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

The conference, held yesterday at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore, was attended by over 400 health-care workers, researchers and academics from 15 countries.

A $15-million research grant for the next five years, called the Communicable Diseases-Public Health Research Grant, was also announced. It will be used to support evidence-based public-health risk assessment and policy formulation, besides other areas.

The Health Sciences Authority and SSHSPH also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the event.

The MOU is aimed at encouraging knowledge exchange and enhancing academic and professional competencies to promote the protection of public health and advancement of public-health science.

New women's committee to focus on unhealthy lifestyles, cancer screenings

SINGAPORE: Women below 40 years old need to beware of unhealthy lifestyle issues such as obesity, binge drinking and smoking while older women should be mindful of the need for screening for illnesses such as breast and cervical cancers.

These are the findings by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) together with the newly-formed Women's Health Advisory Committee (WHAC).

And more is being done to raise awareness of these health issues among women.

According to the HPB, 40 per cent of Singaporean women aged 50 to 69 years old undergo regular breast cancer screening.

In Finland, the rate is 84 per cent.

And Minister of State for Health and Manpower, Dr Amy Khor, said that women must make the effort to remain healthy and happy as they play multiple roles and have a longer life expectancy.

"They live longer and it is important for women to take care of their health and adopt good health habits early, so that they do not just live long, but they live well, have a good quality of life, and have peace of mind. Having a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, healthy eating habits and regular health screenings, will (help women to) avoid or delay the onset of chronic disease," she said.

According to the Department of Statistics, life expectancy for women is 84.3 years while it is 79.6 for men.

So the Women's Health Advisory Committee will champion women's health.

The committee comprises 14 women leaders and will assist the HPB in refining its health programmes for women.

Ang Hak Seng, CEO of the Health Promotion Board, said: "Many of the ideas are bottom up. It's no longer HPB providing or thinking that this is the solution that is best for women's health. Instead, the solution comes from the women's group themselves.

"And that is why the composition of the Women's Health Advisory Committee is so important. It's deliberately chosen so that we can reach out to the people sector, in this case the community, the public sector, government departments so that government operates as one, and also private sectors.

"Because private sector also has resources that we can tap on so that we can encourage and build a community whereby we can have better health for the women," he said.

A comprehensive women's health booklet titled "My Journey to Better Health" was also launched.

HPB aims to distribute 30,000 copies of the booklet by November in a tie up with women's magazines. The booklet is also available online at www.inspiringwomen.sg.

The committee is working with HPB to prepare a Women's Health Plan that will highlight key areas in health promotion programmes for women across their lifespan.

It will also work with organisations and community groups to form a Women's Network to roll out accessible and affordable women's health programmes at workplaces and in the community.

Youngest kidney recipient is happy to be home

SINGAPORE - Laughter filled the living room as two six-year-olds have a boisterous time with a couple of bouncing balls shining with neon lights.

One of them was little Bryan Liu, the youngest recipient of a kidney donated by an altruistic donor in Singapore. The other was his elder twin sister, Charmaine.

Yes, Bryan is finally back home, after being discharged from the National University Hospital (NUH) last Saturday, and truly loving life.

Said his mother, Madam Serene Ng, 38: "He was so happy running around the house, playing and laughing.

"Small things also make him laugh. Throw a ball also laugh.

"We can see that he's really happy to be home. He looks for his toys and plays with them."

Little Bryan underwent a kidney transplant on July21, receiving a kidney donated by a stranger, Mr Lin Dilun, 27, an events consultant.

Mr Lin had told The New Paper on Sunday (TNPS) in an exclusive interview on Aug 5 that it was logical to donate something he didn't need to someone who needed it.

He had said: "The crucial thing is, if I give it away, can I still survive? If yes, it's no loss to me. It makes perfect sense."

And it has been worth it, knowing that Bryan has bounced back.

On the night he was discharged, Bryan was too excited to go to bed even though it was past 1am.

Madam Ng said: "He couldn't sleep. He asked if he could watch the television. He's trying to push his luck to see what he can do."

It had been six weeks since he was admitted into NUH on July 15 in preparation for the transplant, the transplant itself and then to recover from the operation.

And his mother has noticed some changes in him, in terms of his eating habits and his personality.

She said: "After the surgery, we notice that he's very adventurous when it comes to food, which is surprising.

"Previously, he didn't like fruits at all, but now he eats them. He would take half an hour to finish just half an apple and we had to cut it into smaller pieces.

"Now, he bites it and even eats faster than his sister."

He also didn't like cold things previously.

Said Madam Ng: "Before the transplant, he wasn't an ice cream person. Now, he sees ice cream and he wants to try it."

When previously given a choice of hamburger or nuggets, he would choose nuggets, as "he didn't like to get his hands dirty".

But when he was in the hospital and was served a hamburger for one of his meals, he ate it, said his mother.

Once a "fussy eater", he now "doesn't care, food comes first".

His mother mentioned in jest: "We hear that sometimes, the recipient will 'inherit' some of the donor's character. I hope the donor is a food lover, then at least Bryan will not be choosy with his food."

When told about that, Mr Lin said: "I bet no one told them I'm probably the least picky eater around."

Bryan has also turned "more vocal and inquisitive".

Madam Ng said: "Since he came back, he has been very vocal and he would voice out things that he wants. He's no longer the follower and the observer. He's also more daring."

She is not too sure of the causes for the behavioural changes saying "either he inherited the characteristics from the donor or he feels better and is in a clearer state of mind to think, unlike how he used to be when he was sick".

Added Madam Ng: "Now, he's eager to learn. It really is freedom for him."

When asked whether a kidney recipient would inherit characteristics from a donor, renal physician Akira Wu's answer was a clear "No."

Said Dr Wu, 62: "What the transplanted kidney may carry is (kidney) stone. Otherwise, no donor character is transmitted."

Previously, Bryan used to undergo 10 hours of dialysis daily at home, swallow a cocktail of medicines and have growth hormone injections to survive.

Out of the hospital, he will be closely monitored for the next three months. His latest blood test last week showed that everything is normal.

He is now on about 10 types of medicines, mostly immunosuppressants, to ensure that his body does not reject the new kidney.

And for that reason, he cannot return to school until next year.

He had started Primary 1 this year. In the meantime, he will be home schooled, said his mother.

"His immune system is low. If any of his friends are sick, he would catch the illness easily," said Madam Ng.

She said: "The advantage is that they (Bryan and his sister) are in the same class. My girl will bring his homework back."

The other advantage of home schooling is that she can "watch over him". She said: "I can start teaching him how to look after his kidney, such as what he can do when he is back inschool."

His father, Mr Victor Liu, 50, a telco group manager, coaches him in English.

Drinking water

Madam Ng said one of Bryan's challenge is getting into a habit of drinking water. She said that it would take months to develop a habit of drinking water.

He has to drink at least three litres of water a day - about 10 times more the 300ml of water he used to be able to drink when he was on dialysis - to keep his kidney healthy, she said.

She has a one-litre bottle filled with water and he has to drink three bottles each day. She also uses drinking cups with colourful characters to entice him to drink up.

She has had to toilet-train him again.

"He can pee on his own now. But it is a bit harder at night. So he wears a diaper and we wake him up about two to three times to pee.

"He has not been urinating for so long. Sometimes, he can't hold his urine for long, which is normal because his bladder has not been used for so long and is not used to the pressure."

Going forward, she said his ambition is to be a doctor.

She said: "He wants to poke back the doctors who poked him last time. The sky is the limit now. It is up to him what he wants to be, as long as it is legal."

To Bryan, what matters is now.

While pointing to the scars from the transplant on the left side of his lower abdomen, he said: "My donor gave me a kidney - no need to do dialysis.

"Can play."

Little Bryan has his childhood back, finally.

Veteran pageant organiser Tracy Lee, 50, dies in sleep

The "queen" was finally crowned at her funeral on Friday, after crowning many local beauty queens over nearly 20 years.

Ms Tracy Lee, who was also known as the "queen" of pageants among colleagues and beauty queens for being the woman behind the scene at many glitzy pageants, died in her sleep on Thursday.

She was 50 years old.

Her body was found by her caregiver in her three-room flat in Toa Payoh early on Thursday morning.
Ms Lee, who lived alone with her caregiver, is believed to have suffered a heart failure.

She leaves her elderly mother and three brothers, all of whom live in Malaysia.

Said long-time working partner and friend Alex Liu, the managing director of ERM World Marketing:

"She said she always wanted a crown, so we decided to get her a tiara to send her off."

The tiara, which was adorned with crystals, cost about $280 and was placed in her casket, to be cremated with her body.

Her funeral at Mandai Crematorium yesterday was attended by close to a hundred people, including her church friends, past pageant winners and colleagues.

Ms Lee was the events consultant of ERM, which has been organising pageants such as Miss Singapore Intercontinental and Manhunt Singapore.

Friends, colleagues and previous pageant winners describe her as stern, professional and no-nonsense, someone who demanded nothing but the best from her pageant girls.

Ms Lee, who suffered from diabetes, had been wheelchair-bound for the past six months.

But that did not stop her from working tirelessly behind the scenes at the beauty pageants.

Her most recent event was just two weeks ago - the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2012 held at the Inter Continental Hotel ballroom.

News of her sudden death is still a huge shock to everyone close to her.

Ms Rocher Ang, 25, who was crowned winner of Miss Singapore Chinese World at the Saturday event, attended Ms Lee's funeral just several hours before speaking to The New Paper.

She was close to tears as she spoke about Ms Lee's death.

"I still cannot accept the fact that she is gone. The winners were supposed to meet at her place today for a gathering," she said.

"I love baking and Tracy was complaining that I never baked for her before.

"She never got the chance to try my cupcakes. I was going to take some for the gathering," she said.

Ex-beauty queen Ris Low, 22, was also distressed to hear the news from TNP yesterday.

"I am shocked and sad. I don't know what to feel," she said.

Like many others, Ms Low recalled Ms Lee as someone who set very high standards for pageant contestants.

"But I learnt a lot from her. During the rehearsals, she would be the one shouting things like, 'Posture!'

"She expected everything to be perfect."

She also has many fond memories of Ms Lee.

Said Ms Low: "She remembered my birthday, and she was always holding dinners and parties to keep everyone together."

Ms Lee saw ERM through many episodes, including the "Ris Low saga", where the beauty queen was stripped of her Miss Singapore World title.

Following criticism of the poor image of the Miss Singapore World franchise, the Miss Singapore World pageant was handed over to businessman Raymund Ooi in 2011. ERM had run the contest for seven years.

ERM is still the regional franchise holder for many international beauty pageants, including Manhunt International, Miss Tourism Queen International, and runs local contests such as Manhunt Singapore, Miss Singapore Chinatown and Miss Singapore Tourism Queen.

Mr Liu, who has known Ms Lee for 26 years, said he now has to find a "left hand to replace his right hand".

"It will be difficult to find someone to fill her shoes. "

Still working

Mr Liu also said that Ms Lee was still working as usual on a few projects, such as the Mrs Singapore pageant and the Little Miss Singapore Cinderella pageant before she died.

Entertainment lawyer and talent agency owner Samuel Seow, who has judged beauty contests such as Miss Singapore World and Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant, recalled that Ms Lee had a strong zeal for life despite her disabilities.

Aside form having trouble moving around, she was also blind in one eye, believed to be a result of her diabetes.

Mr Seow said: "Before meeting her, I heard stories of how she could be fierce and unreasonable, but I think people tended to misunderstand her.

"She has been a good friend to me for the past five years. She would call me occasionally to ask me how I was. She loved food and I would take her out to eat at Shangri-La hotel," he added.

Ms Yang Lay, who was recently crowned Mrs Asia International Community Queen, had worked closely with Ms Lee for the past four years.

She was the one who placed the crown on Ms Lee's casket.

In her eulogy, she said: "Tracy has organised and been involved in pageants for a long time. In all these pageants, many queens have been crowned.

"She has always wanted a crown. So here is the crown from Alex and all of us in ERM to Tracy."

Local study shows diabetes patients not managing disease well

SINGAPORE: A local study has shown that almost eight in 10 patients suffering from diabetes here are not managing their disease well.

Experts warn that if unmanaged, diabetes can lead to blindness, amputations and heart disease.

Seventy-three-year-old Mr Wong Wai Khew has been a diabetes patient for 13 years.

Mr Wong had to get used to taking nine pills daily.

"When we travel, we have to bring a lot of medicine. If we travel for a week, we have to pack enough medicine for two weeks. If there are any delays at the airport, we will run out of medicine," he said.

Not many are as conscientious as Mr Wong.

A survey by the Diabetic Society of Singapore showed that only about half of the over 150 respondents take their medicine regularly.

One in four patients said they're frustrated at having to pop so many pills.

Seven in 10 are not self-monitoring their blood glucose, while more than six in 10 do not exercise three times a week for 30 minutes each time.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, a hormone that converts sugar and other nutrients into energy needed for daily life.

Vice president of the Diabetic Society of Singapore, Dr Kevin Tan, thinks that education is key in helping these patients.

"If we can educate them as to the importance of medication... not to just control the blood sugar in diabetes but also blood pressure and cholesterol, why they need to exercise and why they need to control their weight... I think more would be keen to control their condition," he said.

Families and friends too can do their part.

Two in three patients feel they need help with their condition, and many hope their companions can eat healthily with them.

There's also a new drug now that can help patients reduce the pill load.

With Kombiglyze XR, patients who take two pills daily can halve that dosage.

The drug may be prescribed for patients with Type-2 diabetes, often associated with obesity and a family history of the disease.

Doctors said the price of the drug is comparable to similar ones in the market.

The drug is available in private clinics. It will be six to 12 months before the drug is made available at hospitals.

Woman who married dying hubby regrets aborting baby

SINGAPORE - The woman who married her dying husband in hospital last month reveals that she got pregnant 15 years ago, but aborted the foetus for practical reasons.

It is a decision that she now regrets, said Madam Chua Mui Mui, 37. Mr Tay succumbed to kidney failure last Friday.

He was 44. Last month, the couple held a traditional ceremony in the intensive care unit of the National University Hospital, where Mr Tay Guan Yeow was warded.

The childless couple registered their marriage 13 years ago, but never had the chance to have a traditional wedding, until local radio station 100.3FM helped the couple fulfill their dreams.

At the wake, Madam Chua Mui Mui, 37, told Shin Min Daily News that her one regret is not keeping the baby when she found out she was pregnant 15 years ago.

She recounted how she had met her husband in 1997 after an aunt introduced them. They became a couple soon after. But Madam Chua, a Malaysian citizen, got a shock when she found out she was pregnant.

 "We were not married yet and as I was a work permit-holder, my family was worried that I would get sent home," said Madam Chua. After discussing with Mr Tay, they decided to abort the foetus. "When I think about it now, I regret not keeping the baby.

Our child would have been 15 by now." Madam Chua says Mr Tay used to bring up the incident whenever he sees photos of babies in the papers, so she believes he had the same regret as well. Before he died, Mr Tay told his wife that he wished for her to remarry.

 Madam Chua also promised that she would take care of Mr Tay's beloved pet Arowana. Mr Tay was an animal-lover who used to keep more than 10 birds at home, said Madam Chua.

Even though Madam Chua does not enjoy keeping pets, she said she would continue to take care of the fish for her husband.

This 6-year-old is S'pore's youngest kidney recipient

It's the miracle that he and his family had been praying for - and in happening, a chapter of history has been recorded in Singapore.

Little Bryan Liu has finally found a kidney donor, making him the youngest recipient of the organ from a living altruistic donor.

An altruistic donor is one who is not related to the recipient via family links.

So far, most of kidney donors have been family members

The six-year-old successfully underwent a kidney transplant on Saturday and is now recovering in the intensive care unit of the National University Hospital (NUH).

It was a long, hopeful wait of almost three years for Bryan, who started Primary 1 this year.

The New Paper first reported his condition in June two years ago when he was just four.

He was born with only one kidney, which was small and had abnormal tissues.

By the time he was two, that kidney had failed completely, despite Bryan drinking up to three litres of water daily, to keep it going.

His mother, Madam Serene Ng, 38, then donated one of her kidneys to him, making him the youngest kidney transplant patient here then.

But the transplanted kidney also failed because of a rare viral condition and it was removed in September 2009.

Daily dialysis 

He had been without a kidney since, and had to undergo 10 hours of dialysis at home daily to stay alive.

He also had to have regular growth hormone injections and a cocktail of medication to keep his blood pressure under control.

25 offers, zero matches 

Bryan's father, Mr Victor Liu, 50, a telco group manager, and his elder twin sister, Charmaine, could not donate their kidneys to him as they have different blood types from his O+ blood group.

After TNP ran a story about his plight in 2010, 25 readers stepped forward wanting to donate their kidneys to him.

Some even said that they would donate to others on the waiting list for cadaver kidney, if their kidneys weren't a match for Bryan.

Potential donors have to undergo a battery of tests, including a medical fitness evaluation, counselling, psychiatric appraisal and an interview with the hospital's ethics committee to see if they are suitable for donation.

But despite all the excitement then, two years went by without a successful match.

Some people didn't even turn up for the first evaluation, Madam Ng had said last year.

She added that she even stopped hoping for a donor.

It was all quiet until two months ago, when Madam Ng was told that a donor had been found.

She told TNP: "We don't know who he is. He wants to be anonymous. We only know that he's in his late 20s."

Despite knowing that there was a matching and willing donor, she said nothing was confirmed until after the transplant.

Said Madam Ng: "If he had changed his mind in the operating theatre, the transplant would have been called off."

Miracle 

So she kept her fingers crossed - until after the transplant was successfully performed in a seven-hour operation.

Professor K. Prabhakaran, NUH's head and senior consultant of the Department of Paediatric Surgery who did the operation, said it went well.

Bryan's family can finally heave a sigh of relief and rejoice in the miracle.

Said Madam Ng: "Finding an altruistic donor for him is like a dream come true.

"Now he can finally do things he couldn't do previously."

When Bryan was on dialysis, he had many restrictions.

For example, he was allowed only to drink 300ml of fluids a day and couldn't go swimming for fear of infection.

But all this will soon change, said Madam Ng.

"We're all very excited that he can finally have a normal life," she said.

"He doesn't need to go to the hospital so frequently any more. No more tubes in him, no more foreign objects in him.

"There are so many things that he can do now. It's a new life for him with so many things he can look forward to."

Still in pain 

When we spoke to Bryan over the phone last night, and all he said was "cannot eat" and "painful" before hanging up.

He may have sounded a little down, but Bryan's family were filled with both joy and gratitude.

They want to thank the donor but, as the rules would have it, they have no way of contacting him.

Said Madam Ng: "We're really, really very grateful. We didn't think there would be such a person.

"From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for giving Bryan the gift of life. It's also a gift of freedom.

"No words can express our gratitude towards the donor. Thank you for giving my son the gift of life. Thank you..."

And after a pause, she added: "It's not just Bryan, but our whole family can now look forward to a brand new life together."

And there was thanks for this newspaper as well.

Without any solicitation, Madam Ng said that the articles in TNP about Bryan made a difference.

She said: "We also want to thank The New Paper. Because of the stories, a donor came forward.

"We've never thought this could happen."

Altruistic donors hard to come by

It's not easy to find an altruistic kidney donor here.

Firstly, it's extremely rare to find someone who is unrelated to the recipient and yet willing to offer his or her kidney.

Then, the donor must have the same blood type as the recipient.

Next, the donor has to pass through a battery of tests which include a medical fitness evaluation, counselling, tests and psychiatric appraisal.

All of these require the donor's commitment as he would have to turn up for his tests and appointments on time.

All these require time and effort, and not many people are willing to make the sacrifices to help someone they don't even know.

The donor also has to be interviewed by the hospital's ethics committee to see if he can donate his kidney.

The transplant ethics committee of the hospital must give a written authorisation for the removal of the donor's kidney.

Then, the donor must give consent for his kidney to be removed from his body and not revoke his consent.

Finally, the donor has to understand the nature and consequence of the medical procedures he has to undergo as a result of his donation.

For Bryan Liu's family, it was almost mission impossible when they started the search for a kidney for him.

His mother, Madam Serene Ng 38, said: "We never thought we would ever find a living donor for him. "But even though we knew it was almost impossible, we still had to give it a try.

"We could not give up because he's still so young."

MOH to strengthen efforts to provide palliative care to more patients

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) will be strengthening efforts to provide home care for patients going through the last stages of their lives.

With the prevalence of chronic diseases, the ministry is looking into extending palliative care beyond traditional cancer care to benefit more non-cancer patients.

Currently, MOH is funding a S$12 million programme for over 3,000 end-organ failure patients to receive structured home palliative care over a five-year period.

A three-year pilot project for integrated home palliative care is also already underway.

Started in February last year, the project involving Dover Park Hospice and Tan Tock Seng Hospital sees patients being directly admitted to the hospital if they require higher-intensity care.

The project costs S$3 million and is funded by the Tote Board Community Healthcare Fund. It has seen more than 100 patients.

As patient's records are shared, such an arrangement helps smoothen the transition of patients across care settings and minimise visits to the emergency departments.

If successful, such a pilot project could be extended to other hospices.

Speaking at the Singapore Palliative Care Conference on Saturday morning, Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong, said the majority of patients prefer to be cared for at home towards the last phase of their lives.

"Families sometimes misconceive that palliative care patients can only be adequately cared for in hospitals or inpatient hospices. This is not true. Even when the disease is advanced, it is still possible to look after patients very well at home if the necessary expertise and services are made available," he said.

Other areas of home palliative care to be strengthened are the training of caregivers, and providing better bereavement support in the community.

HCA Hospice Care says it will be enhancing their training curriculum for caregivers so that training methods are standardised.

In January this year, a committee was set up to study the recommendations for a National Strategy for Palliative Care.

The committee is looking at service development, education and training and standards of palliative care.

TCM product lands 1 in ICU, another with bone fracture

SINGAPORE - A man in his 80s has been warded in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after consuming an illegal traditional medicine product that was sold as herbal medicine to treat arthritic and joint pain and promote blood circulation. A second man who took the same capsules is suffering from serious adverse reactions.

The first man had consumed the pills for about one year for the relief of chronic back pain, and had bought the capsules from a peddler locally, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA). He is now in critical condition.

He was diagnosed to have developed Cushing's syndrome and is in hospital for complications resulting from chronic unsupervised steroid consumption.

Cushing's syndrome is a disorder that occurs when a person's body is exposed to high levels of steroid hormones. This condition is characterised by a round 'moon face', and upper body obesity with thin arms and legs.

The second patient, in his 40s, took the capsules which he purchased from his friend to relieve gout pain.

As a consequence of long term consumption of the adulterated capsules, his bones were affected and he sustained a fracture and needed surgery, HSA said.

HSA also received a third alert from a female in her 50s, who experienced rapid pain relief for her stiff neck after consuming only a few of the illegal capsules, which were obtained from a friend.

One of her family members immediately suspected that the product was adulterated and reported the case to HSA.

In all three cases, the implicated capsules had a similar appearance and were either green-white or blue-white in colour, and packaged in transparent bottles.

Tests done by HSA revealed that the pills contained the potent western medicine dexamethasone, which is a controlled substance under the Poisons Act.

Dexamethasone is a very potent steroid used for anti-inflammatory purposes and should only be taken under strict supervision by doctors, HSA said.

It can cause serious adverse effects such as increased blood glucose leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as eye, muscular and bone disorders.

It can also cause serious symptoms upon withdrawal, including weakness, fatigue, weight loss, nausea, diarrhea, low blood pressure, joint pain and bowel obstruction due to the slowing down of intestinal contractions.

"Traditional or herbal medicines that claim to offer quick relief of chronic conditions such as back and joint pain, especially if they are poorly labelled or packaged often contain potent medicinal ingredients such as steroids," said Associate Professor Chan Cheng Leng, Deputy Group Director of the Health Products Regulation Group, HSA.

Anybody who suspects he or she has consumed the above-mentioned capsules is advised to consult a doctor as soon as possible. They are also advised to not stop taking the product on their own to avoid symptoms of steroid withdrawal.

It is an offence for an unlicensed person to import, sell or possess for sale any product containing substances controlled under the Poisons Act..

Anyone found guilty can be fined up to $10,000 and imprisoned for up to two years.

Members of the public who have encountered these illegal products or any other suspicious products are encouraged to report them by calling HSA at 6866 3485 or emailing hsa_is@hsa.gov.sg.

Strangers help girl dying from cancer fulfill her dream

On Saturday, three-year-old Putri Nittra Tazqiah was transformed into a princess for an afternoon.
Wearing a beautiful crown and grinning widely at photographers and videographers, she was the centre of attention among the 100 guests at Pasir Ris Park last Saturday.

But under that beautiful crown, her little head is bald.

Putri is suffering from end-stage liver cancer.
She is not expected to live beyond the next six months.

Her party was possible only because of the generosity of businesses which contributed their services, as well as the story of another little girl, who died last month.

That girl, little Nur, touched the hearts of many people here when her story appeared in The New Paper in May.

Among them was American Rima McDonald, 37, who was galvanised into action to help raise funds for the little girl, who was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy - a condition in which the heart becomes weakened and enlarged and is unable to pump blood efficiently.

Nur's parents were, at the time, trying to find hospitals overseas which would accept her and do a heart transplant. They were also asking for funds to make this happen.

Said Ms McDonald: "She somehow reminded me of my daughter at that point. I just couldn't believe that she only had a few more weeks to live," said the divorced mother of two kids, aged six and 16, who lives in Singapore.

She initiated a fund-raising project via Facebook, Little Nur's Heart Fund Two-Week Online Donation Drive, with the target sum of US$200,000 (S$256,110) - to be raised within a fortnight.

It was a runaway success. In a mere eight days, over 100,000 people from the world over raised US$250,000.

The centre of attention

Little Nur died on June 9 at the age of four years, three months after her heart failed.

Her parents have pledged to use the funds raised to help other children. But it wasn't the end of the story.

"Some of the members in the group urged me to keep the community together. We wanted to do something to help her other children like Nur," says Ms McDonald.

Within a week, they decided to professionally organise a group called HeartGivers, and also set up a Facebook page to connect volunteers.

Some 15 members of the initial group, including co-directors Ms McDonald and account executive Ms Hasria Hashim, 27, came together to form the core of this new organisation.

It is now undergoing registration for charity status, say the two co-directors.

It will help critically ill or disabled children by organising special events and activities for them. It also plans to conduct visits to hospitals.

Like it did for Putri.

They've been visiting her in hospital and organising activities like making balloon animals while Putri undergoes her treatment.

Putri wants badly to be a princess, so the group bought a princess-themed dress from the US and organised the party.

She was wearing the special dress yesterday.

Her mother, Madam Rodhrah Yati Mohd, 44, who is unemployed, says her little girl was the centre of attention yesterday.

She also received presents from the 100-strong crowd, made up of her family, HeartGivers volunteers and their kids, as well as members of the public who had found out about the party on the group's Facebook page.

Thankful 
 
Says Madam Yati: "I feel very touched as I did not expect them to do so much for the children...

There was face painting, balloon sculpting and even a magician, the whole atmosphere was so beautiful."

The mother of four added: "I could never have dreamt that such a big outdoor party could have been held for my children."

She is thankful for the help and support.

"HeartGivers is able to bring such joy into Putri's life at this last stage, and give her memories that I would not be able to provide."

The group is not raising funds for Putri as her healthcare costs are covered, but they are looking for volunteers and sponsors to help with events and hospital visits, including photographers and videographers.

"We would like to reach out to more children like Putri, and do anything to make them smile. We also want to host parties for bigger groups of kids as well.

"Putri doesn't have much time left, but it gives us such a sense of satisfaction just to see her laugh," said Ms McDonald.

"I feel very touched as I did not expect them to do so much for the children... There was face painting, balloon sculpting and even a magician, the whole atmosphere was so beautiful," said Madam Rodhrah Yati Mohd.

Money to go to charities: Nur’s dad

More than $400,000 was raised for Nur’s heart transplant in less than three weeks, including the funds from MsRima McDonald’s Facebook initiative.

Little Nur died before she could make it for the heart transplant operation.

Her parents had made a pledge at her wake on 10 June to help other children battling critical illnesses with the funds that have been raised.

Nur’s father, Mr Muhammad Ghazali, 27, a security supervisor, told The New Paper last Thursday, that a “large amount” of the funds would go to Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF).

But he declined to specify the exact sum that would be donated, and would only say that the rest would go to “other charities that benefit children”.

He also did not specify which were the other charities. A spokesman for the SHF confirmed that they have been in communication with Nur’s father.

In response to queries, the spokesman said they had not received any of the money to date.

NUS bio student dies after playing computer games overnight

SINGAPORE - A 25-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) biology student was found dead at his desk after an all-nighter playing computer games, Shin Min Daily reported yesterday.

Third-year student Xu Kaixiang's body was found collapsed on the floor next to his home computer, which was still switched on.

When interviewed by the paper, his father said that his son had been holed up at home playing computer games recently as he did not have to attend lessons due to it being the school holidays.

Mr Xu said that his son would even sometimes spend entire nights playing computer games.

"When I was getting ready for bed at about 1am in the morning, I saw him in front of the computer.

When my wife and I woke up at 6.45 in the morning, we saw him lying on the living room floor, with the computer still running," he said.

He said his wife tried to wake their son up, but Kaixiang did not respond at all. Mr Xu said he then rushed forward, which is when he realised that his son's body was icy cold.

He then immediately asked his other son to quickly call an ambulance.

The family tried reviving him with CPR, and the paramedics who arrived at the scene shortly after also tried to do the same. However, their efforts were in vain.

'He was a healthy child'

Mr Xu revealed that although his son did not like to go out and preferred to stay at home with his computer, Kaixiang was a healthy boy who had no unusual complaints of feeling uncomfortable.

Hence, his son's death took him entirely by surprise.

Kaixiang used to go running twice every week, and he had gone running just a few days ago and reported nothing abnormal.

Sometimes, Mr Xu would even go running with his son.

"Last Tuesday, when we went running together, I did not find him experiencing any discomfort. His sudden death has left us all very shocked." Mr Xue said.

The reporter, taking a look around the deceased's room, found that besides computer games, he loved Japanese anime and owned several photos of anime characters.

His father said that his son was a conscientious student, who would only play games after he finished his homework or during holidays.

High achiever

Mr Xu said in an interview that his son had always been a high academic achiever all his life.

In primary school, he was placed in the Gifted Education Programme, and later went on to enter Hwa Chong Junior College, before applying to the NUS Department of Biological Sciences.

Besides his normal studies, he also took Japanese classes.

An overly excited heart may lead to sudden cardiac failure: Doctor

According to heart and surgical specialist consultant Dr Yuan Zhixiong, a sudden death of a person aged 35 can be regarded as a fairly rare event.

For a person to die suddenly so young, he may have had an underlying heart disease which was undiagnosed due to a lack of symptoms, Dr Yuan said.

He added that if the deceased frequently stayed up late to play computer games, his habit might have resulted in a strain to the heart.

Especially since the heart is already at an excited state, this might have triggered a heart disease, leading to his death.

84-year-old man dies 2 weeks after fall

A fall at home last month landed 84-year-old Chiu Cho Tak at the emergency department of the Changi General Hospital.

Although his X-ray did not show any breaks, Mr Chiu was hospitalised.

Things went downhill after that.

After two weeks of being shuttled in and out of the intensive care unit (ICU) and the geriatric ward, Mr Chiu died from what was diagnosed to be a lung infection.

The episode left the family shaken.

"What I want to know is how this could happen and whether there was an over-treatment of my father's condition," said Mr Chiu's daughter, Mung Hing, 47, a businesswoman.

She had written in to The New Paper to share her story.

Relating the harrowing two weeks, Ms Chiu said her father slipped and fell at home when he was going to the toilet in the middle of the night.

He was rushed to CGH by Ms Chiu the next day after he complained of pain in his left leg.

On arrival, Mr Chiu was assessed by a doctor and sent to the X-ray department.

"Although the X-ray did not show any fractures, the doctors wanted to keep him for observation, in case he had a stroke," Ms Chiu said.

The family had wanted to take him home so they could get a second opinion, but was advised against it, she claimed.

Mr Chiu was warded.

During her father's first few days in the geriatric ward, a subsequent scan showed a small hip fracture.

Once again, the family expressed its wishes that the hospital discharge him so he could recover at home, but "the ward doctor insisted he should stay longer," Ms Chiu claimed.

The hospital, however, said that as Mr Chiu had suffered a fracture, his family's maid required caregiver training.

It added that doctors had made plans for Mr Chiu's discharge "together with his family". (See report on facing page.)

A week into his stay at CGH, Mr Chiu suffered a heart attack and was sent to the ICU.

Puzzled

"I was puzzled as to why the doctors at ICU insisted on putting a respiratory tube through my father when he could breathe normally on his own," Ms Chiu asked.

Four days later, Mr Chiu was transferred back to the geriatric ward, but started running a high fever.

He died on May 31 from lung infection.

"During his stay there, I saw at least seven doctors and every one of them gave me different information about my father's condition," said Ms Chiu.

She said she was asked at least six times if the family wanted to resuscitate her father should he collapse.

Ms Chiu said her father, despite his age, was still very alert, even though he "walked rather slowly".

Explaining her initial decision to take her father to the hospital, she said: "I wanted to make sure he was okay and there was no internal injury."

Ms Chiu said she later received a bill of $16,000 for her father's stay and treatment at CGH.

The hospital management and the doctors met with Mr Chiu's family for two hours on Thursday to explain his treatment.

Speaking to The New Paper after, Ms Chiu said CGH was sympathetic to her grief and during the discussion, "realised that there could have been a gap in communication".

Although she does not want to pursue the matter further, Ms Chiu hoped her father's experience would create awareness among the public and medical professionals alike.

What the hospital says

IN A written reply to The New Paper, Changi General Hospital said that Mr Chiu Cho Tak, 84, was admitted on May 17 through its Accident & Emergency department after his fall at home.

Its spokesman said that during Mr Chiu's stay at the geriatric ward, he was found to suffer from giddiness due to low blood pressure from lying down, and the hospital suspected it might have caused the fall.

He also had pain at the left side of his hip due to a fracture sustained from his fall. This was confirmed by a CT scan.

Doctors adjusted his medications to reduce giddiness and treated his pain, the spokesman said.

Mr Chiu was advised not to stand on the affected leg and to use a wheelchair instead.

As Mr Chiu had a fracture, he needed full assistance of a caregiver to move around.

Said the spokesman: "As such, the family's maid required caregiver training to enable her to look after Mr Chiu at home while the doctors made plans for his discharge together with the family.

"His daughter had requested for an early discharge on May 21 and it was planned for within a week of his admission but (as) his caregiver needed time to be trained, his daughter agreed with our plan to discharge him on May 25 instead," she added.

Throughout that period, Mr Chiu's vital signs were stable and he did not have any symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath or palpitations.

But on May 24, he became acutely unwell and had a heart attack.

He was treated and referred immediately for further investigation and supportive treatment.

Procedures explained

The spokesman said Mr Chiu's daughter was present and the procedures were explained to her in the ward.

In light of his instability and decreased consciousness, Mr Chiu was intubated and sent to the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU).

The doctor spoke to the family about the option of not subjecting Mr Chiu to CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or advanced cardiac life support should his heart stop.

"This topic was broached respectfully and sensitively when the doctors assessed that further interventions are unlikely to produce any significant benefit for the patient. Mr Chiu's family was given time to discuss and consider, and his daughter signed the Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) form four days later," the spokesman said.

"Although the form was signed, our doctors will still check with the family on their wishes thereafter as we understand the sensitivity of a DNR," she added.

Mr Chiu was transferred to the general ward after four days at the MICU, when his condition improved and he was able to breathe without ventilatory support.

"Our doctors remained guarded in their prognosis and this was conveyed to his daughter.

"Mr Chiu was also receiving treatment for an ongoing infection after having fever, and subsequent X-rays revealed a pneumonia which progressed rapidly despite maximal medical therapy," she said.

Unfortunately, Mr Chiu's condition deteriorated o nMay29 and he died two days later.

"Throughout his stay, our doctors had constantly kept his family, especially his daughter, informed of his condition. Our doctors work in a team and although different membersof the team have spoken to the family throughout the admission, the medical team was always clear about the medical management plan," the CGH spokesman said.

She added that the Geriatric Medicine Consultant in-charge, who is the primary doctor, managed MrChiu with his colleagues and updated his daughter.

Other specialists included the bone specialists and cardiologists.

On the meeting with the family on Thursday, the spokesman said the hospital "has given her (Ms Chiu) a clearer understanding of the treatment provided for her father and addressed all her concerns in detail".

"We assured her of the commitment of our medical team and the specialists who took care of her father," she said.

HK star Jacqueline Law dies from cancer at Singapore home

Former Hong Kong actress Jacqueline Law has succumbed to pancreatic cancer. She was 45.

Jacqueline passed away at her home in Singapore, her stepson Daryl announced yesterday, adding that the family was already planning her funeral.

Unable to comment further due to restrictions from his father, Singaporean magnate Liu Chee Ming, who married Jacqueline in 2008 after dating her for 11 years, he could only add, "Please look out for the obituary."

In February, Jacqueline held a farewell party for herself with 20 of her friends from Hong Kong, including Sheren Tang, Monica Chan and Kitty Lai.

Each of them received a CD with individual messages from their host, urging them not to be sad about her terminal illness. She was diagnosed with cancer in 2010.

In mid-June, she was admitted to a Singapore hospital and a visit from Sheren Tang led to speculation that Jacqueline was in critical condition.

She had stopped all treatments by then. Last Friday, she sent a text message to a Hong Kong reporter saying: "I'm still around, thank you for the concern, I need to rest." These were her last words to the press.

Jacqueline was 17 when she followed her brother into TVB and began her acting career in 1987. Despite being a newcomer, she was cast in her first drama, The Legend Of The Book And Sword, as one of the leads.

The hit TV series was based on prominent novelist Louis Cha's book of the same title.
She also featured in the drama A Friend In Need alongside Leon Lai, Jaime Chik and Simon Yam. In 1989, she met Stephen Chow in The Final Combat and they started a relationship that lasted three years.

Insurance manager, 37, dies of heart attack after football game

Left:Mr Wan Hussin Zoohri, former Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament (MP), showing his mobile phone with a picture of his youngest child, Mr Wan Imran Haji Wan Hussin. Right: Mr Wan Imran.

They waited for him to reach home so they could have dinner together on Father's Day.

But he never made it.

On Sunday evening, former Aljunied GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Wan Hussin Zoohri's son, Mr Wan Imran Haji Wan Hussin, died of a heart attack after playing football.

The 37-year-old manager at an insurance firm had earlier shown signs of being unwell.

His brother-in-law, Mr Alif Lim, 50, a civil servant, told The New Paper that Mr Wan Imran had met his usual group of football "kakis" at 5pm to play at Yusof Ishak Secondary School.

"While playing, he felt uncomfortable and went to the toilet to vomit. When he returned, he asked a friend to take him home," saidMrLim Mr Wan Imran lost consciousness on the way back, on Tagore Drive, near Upper Thomson Road.

"His friend said he had fits, before becoming unconscious," said Mr Lim.

His friend immediately called for an ambulance.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at about 7.20pm, and sent an ambulance.

The officers performed CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and used an automated external defibrillator on Mr Wan Imran, before taking him to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH). They continued with their resuscitation efforts en route.

Mr Lim said they were praying at home when they received a call from Mr Wan Imran's friend.
Together with his wife, her parents and two brothers, he rushed to KTPH.

Mr Wan Imran, the youngest of four siblings, was declared dead at 8.36pm.

Never complained of chest pain 

"According to his friend, he was one of the fittest in the group, and would chase every ball," said Mr Lim.

He said Mr Wan Imran's death was completely unexpected, as he never once complained of any chest pains nor had any records of medical problems.

The family is coping well, with support from relatives and friends.

Mr Wan Hussin, who was also former Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Culture, said his youngest son was a pleasant person who respected every one.

"We are closely knit. We gather at home for dinner every weekend and my wife would cook," he said.

He described his son as an ambitious man who wanted to climb the corporate ladder.

"He was promoted this month. We would tease him every morning and call him 'Mr Manager'."

Mr Wan Hussin said his wife had taken the shock better than him.

"From the time he was lying in hospital until the burial, I couldn't stop crying. When I see his face, it just reminds me of his gentleness," he said.

He recalled how his son had given him a back massage before leaving on Sunday.

"My back had been uneasy for two days, so before he went out, he gave me a really good massage. I really enjoyed it," said Mr Wan Hussin.

Coping well 
 
"That was the last time I saw him alive."

Mr Wan Imran's best friend, Mr Sujen Jayakody, 36, flew in from Sydney, Australia.

Said the medical doctor, who has been based overseas for six years: "We've known each other since our primary school days at St Michael's School (Now St Joseph's Institution Junior)."

As soon as he got the news, he went online to book a flight to Singapore .

He arrived at 2.30pm yesterday and made it to Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery in time for the burial.

"He was a really cheerful person. He was very quiet, so it would take a while to get to know him. But once he warmed up, he would liven up the room," Dr Jayakody said of his friend.

The last time the two met was when he returned from Australia 11/2 years ago.

They kept in touch regularly through Facebook.

"On his last birthday on March 3, he told me that of all the texts and wishes he received, he cherished the one I sent him the most," Dr Jayakody said.

"He's like the brother I never had."

No symptoms till disease is severe 

Cardiologist Soon Chao Yang said coronary atherosclerosis is a disease that leads to blockage of blood vessels of the heart.

"It is not uncommon as everybody eventually will develop it with ageing. Some will get it faster than others," said Dr Soon of Nobel Heart Centre, based at Mount Alvernia Hospital.

He added that there are generally no symptoms until the disease becomes severe.

"Unfortunately, the more severe cases sometimes end up in sudden attacks, such as in this case here," said Dr Soon.

He said factors that lead to this condition include elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking and diabetes.

"To keep all these factors in check, we have to lead a healthy lifestyle and screen for them regularly," he said.

But there are also factors beyond our control, such as gender, ethnicity and family history.

"It is more common in guys, and woman have lower risks until after menopause," he said.

Several social footballers in Singapore have died from heart attacks, but even professionals have not been spared.

They include:

• PIERMARIO MOROSINI, APRIL 14, 2012: The 25-year-old midfielder, who played for Italian club Livorno, fell to the ground in a Serie B match. He received urgent medical attention on the pitch but never regained consciousness, and was dead by the time he was taken to hospital. 
• DANIEL JARQUE, AUG 8, 2009: The captain of Spanish side Espanyol died after a cardiac arrest following pre-season training. Club doctors and paramedics tried to revive the 26-year-old midfielder using CPR and a defibrillator, without success.
• ANTONIO PUERTA, AUG 28, 2007: The wing-back of Spanish club Sevilla collapsed in the 35th minute of a La Liga match against Getafe on Aug 25, 2007. The 22-year-old was able to walk from the pitch but collapsed again in the changing rooms. He had to be given cardiac resuscitation before being taken to hospital. He died three days later.

S'porean woman marries dying hubby in hospital

They registered their marriage 13 years ago, but this couple never had the chance to have a traditional wedding.

But as the gravely ill man lay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the National University Hospital (NUH), deejays from Radio 1003, Singapore Press Holding's Chinese language station, swung into action, and made their wish come true two weeks ago.

The radio station's programme director Carine Ang said: "It was such a touching moment... everyone present was moved to tears."

It started with an SMS sent to the radio station by Madam Chua Mui Mui in April, wishing her husband a happy wedding anniversary.

Madam Chua, 37, also revealed that her husband, Mr Tay Guan Yeow, 44, had felt bad all these years for not giving her the wedding of her dreams.

After her message was read out on air, listeners called in with offers to help the couple have their wedding pictures taken.

At the time, no one knew that the childless couple - who sell roasted meats at an industrial area in the western part of Singapore - were going through a harrowing situation.

Mr Tay was suffering from kidney failure.

He had been diagnosed just two years after they registered their marriage, in 1999, when she was 24 and he was 31.

Battling his illness, they had put off the traditional dinner and wedding photos.

Until Madam Chua's heartfelt message to the radio station.

Offers of kindness

The offers poured in. But the couple initially hesitated.

Madam Chua, explains: "We were a little worried, and then because we had delayed responding to the offers, we didn't think more about it."

Then, on June 5, Mr Tay's condition worsened and he was rushed to NUH.

Doctors told Madam Chua that he might not pull through.

It prompted her to send another SMS to the radio station's hotline.

In the message, she asked: "If we want to take wedding photos, would it be too late? My husband has just been admitted to ICU."

Ms Ang said the minute their duty deejay received the message, everyone was galvanised into action.

She says: "Our hearts dropped. We wanted to do something for the couple, especially because we knew that Mr Tay was a loyal 1003 supporter.

"We wanted to do whatever we could to make their wish come true."

By 8pm, the team, which included deejay Tan Yan Wei and Ms Ang, had secured a rent-free gown from My Wedding Affair and complimentary photography.

A nurse helped take Madam Chua's measurements so that they'd get the right gown size, and the team rushed down to the hospital.

There was hardly a dry eye in the ICU when the bride walked in, resplendent in her gown.

As she bent over over her husband, Madam Chua asked him: "Am I pretty? Are you happy?"

Tears flowed freely as Mr Tay said yes, and handed a bouquet of flowers to his wife.

'I will live for him'

Ms Ang said that those who witnessed the simple ceremony included Mr Tay's family members and Madam Chua's two younger sisters.

After the ceremony, the groom told everyone: "I'm sorry that we don't have anything to give you."

"But if I am discharged, I will definitely bring snacks and roast meats to the radio station."

Madam Chua says she believes her husband, who had his left leg and right toes amputated earlier this year, is hanging on for her.

She admits that some friends and family members have asked her why she stayed on with her sick husband, whom they view as a yoke around her neck.

She says: "I don't get it, how can he be a burden to me? We exchanged vows and there's this line, 'In sickness and in health'.

"How can we forget this line? It's never occurred to me that I should abandon him."

In a recording that Mr Tay did for the radio station, he said: "This whole life, I loved only Chua Mei Mei. (There will be) no other choices and no regrets. I will love her forever and ever.

"Whether it's in life or in death, I will also miss her. Even though I will leave first, I want her to go on living and carry on with her life."

To which, Madam Chua says: "Some people have asked me what are my plans for the future.

"I don't know. I've not thought about it. Just as my husband is keeping strong for me, I will do the same for him.

"I will live for him."