Mum dies after giving birth to 5th child, neighbours start fundraiser to support family

In an unfortunate turn of events, a young mother in Singapore died just a month after giving birth to her fifth child. She reportedly passed away due to heart failure in March. 

And while this left the family devastated, it was her neighbours who decided to come together to support them.

They started a fundraiser for the grieving family which, needless to say, was supported wholeheartedly by netizens. 

Mum dies after giving birth, leaving behind her husband and five kids 

The mother, Su, left behind five young children aged between two months and seven years, and her husband, Joe, who is the sole breadwinner of the family. 

According to the Give.Asia campaign, his income as a safety coordinator is barely able to cover the monthly family expenses, especially since three of the children are still on formula milk and in diapers.

Joe's eldest son has also been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and needs special care. And even though his school fees have reportedly been waived, Joe still needs to pay the boy's bus transportation fee. 

He also has to take time off work to look after the kids, which means he works fewer hours, leading to a loss of income.   

Donation for family in need: Good samaritans raise funds

After learning about the loss and his financial condition, Joe’s neighbours decided to start a fundraiser to help him cover his monthly expenditure.

The fundraiser was also aimed at helping Joe purchase educational insurance for all five kids. (This would come up to $10,000 each until they reach the age of 21.) 

The campaign, which is now over, has since received government assistance. It has also managed to raise more than $125,000, including medical subsidies. 

But other potential donors can still support Joe and his kids by contributing daily essentials and household items such as:

• Children’s clothes
• Shoes 
• Food
• Milk powder
• Diapers

If you wish to make a donation to the family, you can reach out here. 

Giving support and comfort to bereaved families

Aside from making a donation to a family in need, there are other ways you can help them and provide emotional support. Here is how you can support grieving families:

1. Let them know you are there if they need anything. 

If you are a close acquaintance, constantly check up on the family and offer them sincere words of comfort.

2. Provide them with distractions to cheer them up. 

Encourage them to tell you stories of happy memories with their late loved ones. 

3. Remind them they can cry as much they want.

 It is better to express hurt feeling instead of suppressing them. So allow the family member to let out their feelings of sadness and grief.

4. Offer to be all ears if they want to share something. 

It may be difficult for them to talk about someone who has passed. So once they are open to talking about them, always be ready to listen. 

5. Continue to show your support months or even years after their loss. 

There is no time limit to grieving. This is why it’s important that you regularly check on the person to see how they’re doing. They may not show it, but it might still be hard for them to move forward.

This article was first published in theAsianparent.