'I don't dare rest': Stroke survivor and single dad says he has to work as delivery rider to support 3 daughters

Nothing can beat a father's love. 

Despite requiring a wheelchair to get around, this 55-year-old single dad gets no rest, and says he has to take on food delivery jobs every day so as to provide for his three children, reported 8world. 

Surnamed Du, this man shared that he got into a car accident when he was 21. A decade later, he suffered a stroke.

Because of these two incidents, this man said he has to rely on a motorised wheelchair to get around. 

To make matters worse, his wife died when he was 43.

Du said he had no choice then but to sell his house as he couldn't afford the monthly payments. 

He said he was homeless for a year and a half and his three daughters were then sent to stay with their aunt. And at one point, he was even homeless for one and a half years.

His eldest daughter is 23, and he has a pair of twins aged 21.

Doing delivery to support his daughters 

With his mobility affected, Du, who was previously working as a cleaner, took on food delivery jobs around his Marine Parade home to earn his keep. 

"I've been working every day without rest. I don't dare rest because of my three daughters whom I can't stop thinking of. I can't give up," he told 8world. 

He said that he secretly deposits money into all his daughters' bank accounts every month to give them a better life. 

Du added that he had to depend on his friends to help him learn the ropes about the food delivery business. 

And apart from teaching him how to use the delivery apps, they also taught him how to take orders. 

"Sometimes, when I receive an order but I don't know where the location is, I will take a screenshot and send it to my friend for help. Because it is in English," he explained. 

Du said he initially struggled to do deliveries because of his mobility issues. 

"Sometimes, when there are too many things to carry up to the customer's house, I have to make two trips. Because I can't hold things with this hand as it has no strength," he shared.

But as time went by, Du became familiarised with his job and now does food deliveries every day. 

"You can earn nearly $100 by delivering food for nine hours a day," he said, adding that if he wanted to earn more, he has the option of doing deliveries till 11pm as there are more orders at night. 

However, this also means that the locations are further away and he finds himself travelling to places like Geylang, Paya Lebar and Bedok.

"But I don't feel bitter and the time passes by quickly. My wheelchair has an umbrella so I can go there when it rains," he shared. 

"Now, the more I do it, the happier I am. I don’t have a chance to worry about other things. I deliver food every day, I eat with my colleagues after work, and sometime, I call my daughters when I miss them."

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melissateo@asiaone.com