26 March...

26 March – A day that will live in my heart forever.

Because today is my youngest son Mark’s birthday. He’s turning 11.

Unfortunately, Mark won’t be here celebrating with us. He passed away in June last year.

I haven’t shared this with many, since it’s such a personal matter. 

So I apologize if you’re caught off guard.

But seeing so many of my friends affected by the trying times caused by COVID-19, I decided to finally open up and tell this story.

I hope it can give you, my friends, some new perspective on the current situation…

Mark was born with a brain tumour. It was a shock because his 2 older brothers both grew up healthy without much complications.

Back then, the doctor only gave him a few weeks, at most a few more months to live, even with treatment.

We were even advised to “give up” on him, as pro-longing his life would cost quite a lot of money.

That was never an option for my wife and I.

This is our son. Our flesh. Our blood. We would do anything for him.

So I worked harder. Pushed myself. Gave it everything. Just to make that extra income for Mark’s medical bills.

To our pleasant surprise, Mark responded very well to treatment. The initial “few months to live diagnosis” was thrown out the window.

Mark my boy, you’re truly a fighter. Daddy is so proud of you.

Growing up wasn’t easy though. As a family, we all stood by him as he went for treatment after treatment after treatment.

Honestly, it was taking a toll on his frail body. But what else could we do? If we stop treatment, he’ll not survive. It was a no-win situation.

I hope that no other parents have to go through what we went through. The feeling of helplessness…seeing your child wither away day after day. It was really, really tough.

Mark finally left us in June last year. I hope that wherever he is now, he’s happy. He deserves it.

We decided that to honor his memory, we’ll celebrate his birthday on March 26th every year. This way, he’ll continue to live on. Not in body, but in our hearts and memories.

Mark’s passing was less than a year ago. I’ve been putting on a brave face in front of my team members and clients. But I’ve been miserable inside. We all have been.

Without the support of my wife and 2 boys, there’s no way I could’ve pulled through.

Why I’m sharing this - For my friends who are worried, fearful and frustrated over the current COVID-19 situation, try to be optimistic and focus on what you CAN do.

If I can somehow survive the passing of my son, all of you can get through this rough patch. Especially if we stick together and help each other out.

So don’t give up. Don’t give in. Let’s stand united. Together, let us overcome this challenge and look forward to a brighter future!