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When Madam Ng Yuet Hay, 71, was diagnosed with terminal cancer in July, her son Chia Fu Yong, 35, rushed to fulfill her long-awaited wish to see him get married.
He and his girlfriend of four years, Tan Mei Xuan, 28, planned their wedding in two months.
Mr. Chia said, “I was afraid that he might not see me married. It is very difficult to say how long he has left.”
They were among 876 couples who said their vows on Saturday, October 10, the most popular wedding date this year.
The couple enlisted the help of Ambulance Wish Singapore, a charity that fulfills the dying wishes of terminally ill patients.
The charity sent Madame Ng, who is now bedridden and staying at home, to the solemnization ceremony in an ambulance.
A Dover Park Hospice nurse who provided hospice care for Madam Ng at home alerted the charity of her wish.
Filled with tears, Mr. Chia said: “I saw my mother smile during the solemnization and I could see that she was very happy. I am very happy to have her wish fulfilled.”
Mr. Chia, program director, had proposed to Mrs. Tan, who runs an ice cream parlor, earlier in the year.
They had not set a date for the wedding, but he had next year in mind.
Interim plans were accelerated when his mother, who used to work as an administrative assistant, was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer.
Chia, the oldest of three siblings, said: “The diagnosis was a shock. The doctor said he probably has about a year to live.”
So the couple, who met while volunteering, decided to get married on October 10 as it was an auspicious date that both parents liked and the “10/10” date sounded nice, he said.
Two weeks before the big day, Madame Ng’s condition began to steadily deteriorate and the family feared that she would not live to witness her nuptials.
But she got on with it.
Madam Ng attended the ceremony at Marina One while lying on a stretcher, accompanied by a nurse. You cannot sit for more than 10 minutes without pain.
Dr Ong Yew Jin, President of Ambulance Wish Singapore, said: “Ms Ng could barely speak, but she managed to whisper to the nurse and our volunteer that she was very happy.”
Mr. Chia said, “Ambulance Wish went out of their way to get to know my mother and make her feel comfortable. It’s really very nice of her.”
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