'She wanted to depart peacefully': Yakult auntie's son on family's decision to take her off life support

The eldest son of the Yakult auntie who died a week after she was punched on the job revealed that his mother had previously wished for a peaceful death.

The 43-year-old man, who did not want to be named, told Shin Min Daily News that his family had to make the difficult decision to pull his mother off life support after learning that she was in a critical condition. 

After being punched in the right side of the face on Oct 29, the elderly woman, surnamed Au, was rushed to the hospital, where she was found to be severely injured.

Her attacker, 30-year-old Lim Chuan Xun, was charged in court on Nov 15 for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to the elderly woman. 

Doctors told her family then that she would become paralysed or bedridden. 

"We called the doctor several times about whether [my mother] should undergo surgery. My younger sister wanted her to go for it, and our relatives were pressuring us. 

"But I remembered that my mother previously said she has experienced too many goodbyes. She witnessed my father die of cancer, and she's had a hard life since young, so she said if anything happened to her, she wanted to depart peacefully," said the man.

The elderly woman died shortly after the breathing tube was removed from her throat on Nov 6.

Deceased worked three jobs to support family

Au's son told Shin Min that he was only six years old when his father died in 1987. 

"My sister was four and my youngest brother was less than a year old. My mother became a widow at the age of 33," he said. 

He shared that his mother used to work in an electronics factory in Ang Mo Kio after getting married. When her husband died in 1987, she juggled three jobs to support the family. 

"She found a job which allowed her to also take care of us, such as being a seamstress, and helping others clean, and in 1991 she started delivering Yakult. 

"Back then she would sew in the morning, clean in the afternoon and deliver Yakult at night. She was also cleaning the home of a tutor where we all had tuition." 

To help his mother, the man and his sister started working at cinemas and fast food restaurants during their secondary school years to earn some pocket money.

He is now a sales manager at a chemical company. 

Even after her children have grown up, the elderly woman refused to retire, saying that she has too many regular customers. 

According to Au's son, she was working four times a week before her death, leaving the house at around 7pm and returning home at about 9.30pm. He has asked her to retire several times, but his mother refused. 

Whenever she goes overseas, she would only do so for a week, and would even tell her customers to place their orders in advance, said the man.

"My mother would never argue with others, even if she was taken advantage of, she considered it a blessing. Seeing her endure such hardships has had an impact on me. No matter what difficulties I face, I know I can overcome it." 

Deceased just celebrated her 70th birthday 

Au's son told the Chinese daily that their family just celebrated his mother's 70th birthday merely two months ago. 

He added that all his siblings have their own families, and he would bring his 15-year-old child to visit his mother frequently. 

His family used to live in Yishun, but they moved to Buangkok in 2008 to be closer to his mother. 

"We all lived near her, and she helped to take care of her [four] grandchildren." 

He shared that he had plans to have his mother live with him and his siblings after she retired, and he also wanted to bring her to Europe. 

"She loved travelling because she enjoyed meeting people. She was also very health-conscious, and liked going out in nature."

Adviser to Sengkang GRC pays tribute to Yakult auntie

In a Facebook post last Saturday (Nov 16), Sengkang GRC Adviser Elmie Nekmat uploaded a photo taken with the elderly woman, whom he addressed as Auntie Jasmine. 

Nekmat described her as someone who was well-loved by her neighbours. She would also offer Yakult to the MPs if she saw them while making deliveries. 

"Admired her for her strong spirit and tenacity in life, single-handledly taking on three jobs at one time to raise her three children for decades. Always wishing us well and reminding us to take care of ourselves. Always with a smile.

"Auntie Jasmine. You’ll be missed. You are in a better place now. May you rest in peace." 

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