'I write red words on a white wall; I write until I weep’: A hoarder’s sad tale

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'I write red words on a white wall; I write until I weep’: A hoarder’s sad tale​

Volunteers uncovered words written by a hoarder on the walls of her flat. PHOTO: HELPING JOY

David Sun and Caelyn Tan

UPDATED JAN 22, 2025, 03:44 PM

SINGAPORE - Struggling with dementia, the frail woman in her 70s lived alone, with only cockroaches and maggots for company.

She had piled scavenged items like food containers, boxes, books and old clothes from the unit’s floor to its ceiling, blocking out sunlight.

When volunteers decluttered her flat, they found these words written in red ink in Chinese on the walls:


“I dread my days; I don’t eat well for my three meals.
“Who will save me, who will help me?
“Day after day, my body deteriorates, it is very painful.
“I write red words on a white wall; I write until I weep.”

Mr Steven Goh, 46, the founder of non-profit organisation Helping Joy, recounted the hoarding case from 2020 which affected him.

He said: “It was really sad. For many of us, we can post on social media. But for people like her, she could only express her suffering by writing on the wall, then covering it up with items she hoarded.”

Social workers said hoarding is a growing issue in Singapore, with an ageing population exacerbating the problem.