- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
[h=2]The tragic choice of a troubled and distraught mother[/h]
June 15th, 2013 |
Author: Contributions
We have all read about the 31 year old unemployed mother
who dropped her 9 year old son from her flat. The poor child died. The poor
child was a special needs child, needing special attention and special school.
The poor mother had to stop work to look after him full time. And she has only
her own mother to support her with her mother’s miserable income of $1,000 pm.
Yes, a $1,000 income in the richest country in the world is miserable, barely
enough to keep one alive. Some will disagree and claim that a $1,000 income
could afford to buy a public flat and get by. Well some will believe it is
possible.
How could three persons, an old lady, a young mother and a special needs
child lived on a $1,000 income. Maybe there were some handouts from the govt or
some charitable organizations. This is a tragic story of the lives of three
miserable beans trying to get by in one of the most expensive country in the
world.
How many of you think it is easy to live with $1,000? After deducting some of
the compulsory bills and expenses there would be nothing much left. The three
would be lucky if the remainder was enough just for food and nothing else. No
matter how reclusive a life they led, there must be plenty of other expenses to
pay for, the schooling for the child, the medical expenses, and what not.
What choice is there for the young woman, for the poor child and the poor
grandmother? What kind of existence, with money not enough, and with nothing but
a life centred on caring for the needs of the special child. Don’t ask me.
Anyone in this most expensive city in Asia and probably the whole world, if
struck by a sickness that needs repetitive care and medicine, unless one is a
millionaire, how many will earn enough just to take care of the medical needs
and medical bills? A person with kidney problem and needing dialysis, mind you
the cheapest is still going to cost at least a $1000 a month if I am not wrong.
An aged or invalid in a nursing home is going to cost a couple of thousands at
the lower end and pray no extra medical costs. There are those that need
chemotherapy, physiotherapy or ‘whateverapy’, as long as the treatment is
prolong, the poor chap is going to be bankrupt in no time, or the poor chap is
going to bankrupt the family members.
Long term medical care, long term care for the special needs children, long
term care for the aged etc etc are very unaffordable. Many families are
shouldering such emotional baggage and financial burden and only they themselves
understand the meaning of medical cost.
The poor woman, now in prison for delivering her son, would probably think it
is better to end it all. The poor child will be her life of living hell. She
would have nothing else to live for short of a miracle, a little mercy from some
kind souls.
How many people are in the same plight, and pondering to do the same, to end
it all, in the most expensive city in the world where every one other person is
a millionaire or half a millionaire? Not many of these millionaires or half a
millionaires can afford a long term illness or long term care for a member of
his/her family. It is no joke.
The poor woman in prison is likely to remain in prison for the rest of her
life. She just switched from a prison without bars to behind bars. The latter
may be less demanding financially and emotionally less draining. At least she
will have a life of her own to live for, behind bars. At least she set free the
poor boy trapped in a flawed body. Some may disagree and think it is better for
the boy to continue to live. What about her mother, now with all $1,000 to
herself for as long as she can work?
.
Chua Chin Leng aka redbean
* The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/
who dropped her 9 year old son from her flat. The poor child died. The poor
child was a special needs child, needing special attention and special school.
The poor mother had to stop work to look after him full time. And she has only
her own mother to support her with her mother’s miserable income of $1,000 pm.
Yes, a $1,000 income in the richest country in the world is miserable, barely
enough to keep one alive. Some will disagree and claim that a $1,000 income
could afford to buy a public flat and get by. Well some will believe it is
possible.
How could three persons, an old lady, a young mother and a special needs
child lived on a $1,000 income. Maybe there were some handouts from the govt or
some charitable organizations. This is a tragic story of the lives of three
miserable beans trying to get by in one of the most expensive country in the
world.
How many of you think it is easy to live with $1,000? After deducting some of
the compulsory bills and expenses there would be nothing much left. The three
would be lucky if the remainder was enough just for food and nothing else. No
matter how reclusive a life they led, there must be plenty of other expenses to
pay for, the schooling for the child, the medical expenses, and what not.
What choice is there for the young woman, for the poor child and the poor
grandmother? What kind of existence, with money not enough, and with nothing but
a life centred on caring for the needs of the special child. Don’t ask me.
Anyone in this most expensive city in Asia and probably the whole world, if
struck by a sickness that needs repetitive care and medicine, unless one is a
millionaire, how many will earn enough just to take care of the medical needs
and medical bills? A person with kidney problem and needing dialysis, mind you
the cheapest is still going to cost at least a $1000 a month if I am not wrong.
An aged or invalid in a nursing home is going to cost a couple of thousands at
the lower end and pray no extra medical costs. There are those that need
chemotherapy, physiotherapy or ‘whateverapy’, as long as the treatment is
prolong, the poor chap is going to be bankrupt in no time, or the poor chap is
going to bankrupt the family members.
Long term medical care, long term care for the special needs children, long
term care for the aged etc etc are very unaffordable. Many families are
shouldering such emotional baggage and financial burden and only they themselves
understand the meaning of medical cost.
The poor woman, now in prison for delivering her son, would probably think it
is better to end it all. The poor child will be her life of living hell. She
would have nothing else to live for short of a miracle, a little mercy from some
kind souls.
How many people are in the same plight, and pondering to do the same, to end
it all, in the most expensive city in the world where every one other person is
a millionaire or half a millionaire? Not many of these millionaires or half a
millionaires can afford a long term illness or long term care for a member of
his/her family. It is no joke.
The poor woman in prison is likely to remain in prison for the rest of her
life. She just switched from a prison without bars to behind bars. The latter
may be less demanding financially and emotionally less draining. At least she
will have a life of her own to live for, behind bars. At least she set free the
poor boy trapped in a flawed body. Some may disagree and think it is better for
the boy to continue to live. What about her mother, now with all $1,000 to
herself for as long as she can work?
.
Chua Chin Leng aka redbean
* The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/
