a 'freak' accident

an article in today's edition of the straits times caught my eye with regard to a person who slipped on a sloping ramp near his block.

mr aw kian chow was heading back to his flat in block 415, sembawang drive when he fell and fractured his spine and became paralysed from the neck down. this happened in august 2008 and now, 3 years later, this 46 year old father of 2 young children is still bedridden and cannot speak.

in addition, mr aw needs life support equipment, regular hospital care as well as caregivers to turn him on his bed every 3 hours to drain out mucus and other fluids.

as a result of this most unfortunate turn of events, mr aw's wife, in her 30s, is holding a job as a bank officer and became the family's sole breadwinner.

the aw family has since downsized their dwelling into a smaller flat which used to be their 5 room flat in sembawang to meet mr aw's ongoing, hefty medical bills.

The family has since moved out of the five-room flat in Sembawang into a smaller flat elsewhere so the family can meet mr aw's ongoing, hefty medical bills.

my comments:

whenever i read such heart wrenching real life stories, i feel saddened that a 'freak' accident, no matter how remote, can happen to any individual or family.

there have been many cases when an event such as an untimely death, being disabled or contracting any dreaded disease have uprooted individuals and families from the normal schedule of everyday living and without wealth protection planning, many challenges lie ahead.

that's why, even though i'm into my 14th year in the financial industry, i remain fully committed and passionate in my role as a financial adviser.