In Memoriam of the late Low Guan Hock.

My uncle (Mum's younger brother) passed away on the second day of Chinese New Year.

He succumbed to SLE, or better known as Lupus.

My Aunt, (mum's younger sister), die of this 10 years ago, when this disease was relatively new and unknown of.

I managed to see him one last time on New Year's eve, it was a huge contrast, there i was, in the High Dependency Ward in Selayang Hospital, and as one peers out of the window, there were fireworks being shot into the sky. It was like some war zone out there.

The last i saw him, i know he was fighting his own war. Being hooked up in numerous IV machines with multiple needles/syringes being inserted into his neck's arteries (this is because the arms are too swollen by now that finding any veins are virtually impossible).

He was on 100% Oxygen, this meant that his respiratory system is virtually down.

Blood pressure was at the all time low of 68/38, that is very low. Heartrate was at a constant range of 108-112 that's almost 70% of his max heart rate, it is like he is running a 10km run the whole time.

Because od SLE, his own body immune system has attacked, and destroyed his liver and kidney, requiring dialysis everyday. He was infected with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. Had an operation that he never recovered 2 weeks ago, because of a bleeding in his stomach (if he do not go thru the operation, he will bleed to death).

So, there you go. In all his 47 years of life, he worked hard to support his family. Not having even the Form 5 equivalent of SPM/O-Level did not stop him from rising from a peon to what he was now.

Just unfortunate, that his wife, and children did not give him the funeral he deserves. the last respect he deserves. Which i find outright disgusted.

It was a sombre new year for my mum's family. Being brought up in a very very close family enviroment, where everyone goes all out just to help each other (there were 10 siblings in the family, now, 8 more are alive, my mum is the second eldest).

His passing has definately came as a blow to my granma (she's 80), and she is still upset, that his son, wasn't given a last proper honour in his life.

I'll live to tell his story, when i got the time and strength to write, and brave through the emotions, of which, i find myself succumbing to even as i write this.