Sunday Starters will be sorely missed

FRIDAY was a very sad day after I read the news about the passing away of Soo Ewe Jin.

I always read his weekly column in Sunday Star and I knew he had been suffering from cancer intermittently since the 1990s. I used to relate to my husband (a cancer survivor) what a fighter Ewe Jin was. At that time, Ewe Jin had already undergone three rounds of chemotherapy but he was still brave enough to step into his fourth round in his fight against the big C.

He shared his journey with his readers, and each time someone whom he knew from his many visits to the hospital lost the fight, he would sigh and write about it. I remember the saddest one he wrote. It was about his oncologist, Dr Albert Lim Kok Hooi (another Sunday Star contributor), who died in March 2013. Imagine the very oncologist who was treating Ewe Jin dying of cancer ahead of his own patient. That was how sad he was.

Recently, even though unwell, he attended a function in a wheelchair being pushed by Lat, our most loved cartoonist. We knew then that he was indeed very sick. As there were times previously when his article didn’t appear for a couple of weeks, I would search for the “Sunday Starters” page first every weekend and be assured that he was fine upon seeing this column.

Sunday, Nov 13, was no different and I was very happy to read his column. My happiness turned to shock Friday when I read the news that he had lost his long-fought battle with cancer.

He was a parent like us, with our biggest fear being unable to see our children grow up. He shared about his wonderful wife, that he was able to be a house-husband at one time, leaving his wife to be the breadwinner due to his sickness. In recent years, he also shared his happiness when both his sons graduated from university. And I think the crown to any parent’s glory would be to see their children settle down.

His sharing on his son getting married abroad showed how content he was. He couldn’t attend the wedding because he was undergoing chemotherapy but he was happy to be able to view the whole wedding ceremony over Skype. We rejoiced when he rejoiced!

Dear Ewe Jin, rest in peace now. There’s no more pain in heaven as God welcomes you into His kingdom. You have already fulfilled your responsibilities as a father to your two sons who are adults now.

We will miss your stories about everyday life which we were always able to relate to. Goodbye “Sunday Starters”!

ALICE YOK YUEN WONG Puchong