73-year-old Uncle Heng lives on his own, and has been in and out of hospital for years with diabetes and heart disease. The huge medical bills have eaten into his savings. Even worse, last year he was diagnosed with kidney failure and had to go on dialysis to stay alive. The doctor recently told him to prepare for the worst…… Picture:Tears welled up in Uncle Heng’s eyes when Tzu Chi volunteers encouraged him to be at ease when his time comes.

Volunteers keeping Uncle Heng company outside his house while the “cleaning squad” got down to work.

As a show of respect, the volunteers always consulted Uncle Heng before they remove anything, including this bag of food which has long expired.

Volunteers paying attention to every spot…

…Not forgetting the vent on the walls.

..And beneath the table.

Uncle Heng’s third sister was present to affirm his wish to entrust his funeral arrangement to Tzu Chi.

It’s an ordinary Sunday no different than other. An entourage of home visit volunteers headed for a HDB flat at the Central district with brooms, mops, and water pails. Though a leisure day for many, the volunteers were going to spend it differently.

Walking through the dim corridor, they arrived at a unit.

“Hello, Uncle Heng, we’re here!” One of the volunteers called out.

The wheelchair-bound elderly slowly reached for his keys and opened the door to let them in. Immediately the house was lit up with laughter and chatters. Before long, the volunteers took off their shoes and socks, ready to spring clean the house of the elderly.

They first cleared out bags of sundries filled with medicines, old shoes, clothes, grass mat and used plastic carriers. While several volunteers busied themselves with sorting them out, a few others aimed for other reachable areas, rubbing them spick and span. Cleaning every corner, the volunteers hope Uncle Heng can live in dignity. The elated elderly didn’t keep himself idle either. He happily served the volunteers with beverages he kept aside for them to express his thanks.

The 73-year-old is full of emotion whenever he reminisced about his past. Born a few years before the Second World War, he had no chance to go to school given his poor family condition. He was estranged from his parents since young. Though he has many siblings, he was never close to them, except with his 78-year-old third sister who lives with her husband in the west. He remained single and continued to live a lonesome life till now.

In 2003, diabetes and heart disease took their toll on his health. The huge medical bills gradually ate into his savings as he went in and out of hospital throughout the years. Thankfully the successful application of the $330 government subsidy helped him get by.

Yet misfortune rarely comes alone. Last year, he was diagnosed with kidney failure and had to go on dialysis three times a week to stay alive. Though he had successfully applied for National Kidney Foundation (NKF)’s kidney dialysis subsidy, he still has to co-pay $64 for his dialysis treatment and ambulance fee. After paying for his rental and utility fees, he had little left of the government subsidy he received. Through the referral of Singapore General Hospital’s medical social worker, Tzu Chi Foundation came to know of his situation last December and started financing the elder’s dialysis transportation expense. The home visit volunteers also visited him frequently to keep him company.

One day, after the volunteers’ visit to his house, Uncle Heng made a call to Tzu Chi to declare his wish to hand over his funeral arrangement to the Foundation. Only then the volunteers realized that the he was recently informed by his doctor that he could suffer a heart attack at any time and to prepare for the worst.  In a discussion with his third sister, the volunteers learnt he has firmly made up his mind, thus they begun arranging for preparation of his will and agreement letter to the entrustment. To show respect and discretion to Uncle Heng’s wish, the Foundation invited his third sister to bear witness to that and arranged a filming session to record the touching moment.

"I want Tzu Chi to help me."

Uncle Heng, being a Buddhist, expressed his desire to be cremated and buried at sea when he passes away as he has no offspring to take care of his funeral. The next day, though left with only meager savings, the elderly took out the $700 he has and insisted the volunteers to take the money as a contribution for his funeral expenses.

The volunteers thanked Uncle Heng and his third sister for entrusting Tzu Chi and assured Uncle Heng that they will carry out his will to the letter and adopt Buddhist rituals for his funeral. One of the volunteers’ earnest words urging him to be at ease when his time comes brought tears to his eyes.

On April 1, 2009, Mr. Andy Sim, the medical social worker of SGH, arrived at Uncle Heng’s with the legal advisor. After a thorough explanation on the will and the agreement letters, Uncle Heng certified the documents with a thumb print under the witness of SGH’s nurse coordinator Lee Poh Lan.

Filled with emotion, Uncle Heng confessed that although he used to lead a splendid life in the past, he is now ailed with sickness and has no one to turn to. Fortunately the help of the hospital, Tzu Chi and well-doers has kept him warm.