The Newpaper (Thurs July 15 2004)
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/top/story/0,4136,67920,00.html?
Neighbours feed old lady, clean her up
STARVING MUM LEFT TO WALLOW IN FILTH
SHE is 86 and senile.
She can't walk after collapsing from an illness three months ago.
Neither can she go to the bathroom on her own. So the widow spent her days lying half-naked on the cement floor, amidst scurrying cockroaches and her own body waste.
A deep wound on her head was festering, attracting flies.
Locked up by her son at their home in a Cheras village in Kuala Lumpur, Madam Fu Yueying survived on neighbours' handouts of rice and bread, reported Guang Ming Daily.
Sometimes, she would mix her faeces and food listlessly before shovelling them into her mouth in a daze, oblivious to the stench.
Her daughter is married and lives elsewhere.
Her 28-year-old son, who lives with her, said his 12-hour shift at an Internet cafe makes it hard for him to take care of her.
When he leaves for work in the evenings, Madam Fu would lie alone in the dark, as the lights at the house have died long ago.
He did not say why he didn't buy food for her, but said he cleaned her up after work every morning.
Madam Fu became senile after her husband died two years ago and started bringing rubbish like cans, torn clothes and fruit peels back home.
Soon, the pile of junk grew to a big pile and her son had to pay some council workers RM300 ($134) to cart off the junk in three big lorries.
To stop her from scavenging further, he locked her up at home. So Madam Fu would sit at the doorway, waiting for handouts.
Sympathetic neighbours would stand outside and give her bags of food hung from the end of a pole.
A neighbour, Madam Chen Baolian, 73, said: 'Sometimes, we would take bread, rice with mixed vegetables, Milo and coffee to her. Sometimes, we'd ask her if she was hungry and she'd reply.'
But the old woman's mind was wasting away, her body reduced to skin and bone.
That's when the neighbours demanded the house keys from the son, which they duplicated, so they could give her food directly. They even took turns to change her diapers and put on her pants.
But Madam Fu would rip them off, covering herself with a thin bedsheet instead.
Her son doesn't know what illness she has and he said his 7pm to 7am shift made it difficult for him to take care of her.
It was not reported what he did during the day and at times when the neighbours feed his mum. But he said he couldn't afford to take her to a hospital on his RM700 salary.
'I thought of putting my mother in a welfare home or old folks' home, but because my sister and I have financial problems and cannot afford it, we ruled out the idea.'
A welfare department official said the son could have been charged for abuse of an elderly person.
With the help of some government officials, Madam Fu was rushed to a hospital yesterday. A neurosurgeon will examine her head wound, and the welfare department is arranging her long-term care.
It may put her in a welfare home or let Madam Fu's daughter care for her. She may also be returned to her son, with the department conducting weekly checks.
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it's very tragic and sad. wish i could paste the picture here which will do more than words ever will.
feel like commenting, and yet dun feel like commenting. i'm speechless.
on one hand it's beyond me how the son can just watch his skin and bones mom day in day out and live with it. I can't even bear to put upon him the treatment he gave his mom. it's just not something we can tolerate doing to a fellow human being, much less someone as closely related as this.
who am i to judge. he probably has his problems and stress to drive him to such depths of cold heartedness. Senile old folks are also pretty hard to handle and are trying tests of tolerance.
i commented. but still dumbfounded.
so much suffering in this world. i'm sure there're more out there as yet undiscovered. it's tragic. Juggleress, remember this.
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/top/story/0,4136,67920,00.html?
Neighbours feed old lady, clean her up
STARVING MUM LEFT TO WALLOW IN FILTH
SHE is 86 and senile.
She can't walk after collapsing from an illness three months ago.
Neither can she go to the bathroom on her own. So the widow spent her days lying half-naked on the cement floor, amidst scurrying cockroaches and her own body waste.
A deep wound on her head was festering, attracting flies.
Locked up by her son at their home in a Cheras village in Kuala Lumpur, Madam Fu Yueying survived on neighbours' handouts of rice and bread, reported Guang Ming Daily.
Sometimes, she would mix her faeces and food listlessly before shovelling them into her mouth in a daze, oblivious to the stench.
Her daughter is married and lives elsewhere.
Her 28-year-old son, who lives with her, said his 12-hour shift at an Internet cafe makes it hard for him to take care of her.
When he leaves for work in the evenings, Madam Fu would lie alone in the dark, as the lights at the house have died long ago.
He did not say why he didn't buy food for her, but said he cleaned her up after work every morning.
Madam Fu became senile after her husband died two years ago and started bringing rubbish like cans, torn clothes and fruit peels back home.
Soon, the pile of junk grew to a big pile and her son had to pay some council workers RM300 ($134) to cart off the junk in three big lorries.
To stop her from scavenging further, he locked her up at home. So Madam Fu would sit at the doorway, waiting for handouts.
Sympathetic neighbours would stand outside and give her bags of food hung from the end of a pole.
A neighbour, Madam Chen Baolian, 73, said: 'Sometimes, we would take bread, rice with mixed vegetables, Milo and coffee to her. Sometimes, we'd ask her if she was hungry and she'd reply.'
But the old woman's mind was wasting away, her body reduced to skin and bone.
That's when the neighbours demanded the house keys from the son, which they duplicated, so they could give her food directly. They even took turns to change her diapers and put on her pants.
But Madam Fu would rip them off, covering herself with a thin bedsheet instead.
Her son doesn't know what illness she has and he said his 7pm to 7am shift made it difficult for him to take care of her.
It was not reported what he did during the day and at times when the neighbours feed his mum. But he said he couldn't afford to take her to a hospital on his RM700 salary.
'I thought of putting my mother in a welfare home or old folks' home, but because my sister and I have financial problems and cannot afford it, we ruled out the idea.'
A welfare department official said the son could have been charged for abuse of an elderly person.
With the help of some government officials, Madam Fu was rushed to a hospital yesterday. A neurosurgeon will examine her head wound, and the welfare department is arranging her long-term care.
It may put her in a welfare home or let Madam Fu's daughter care for her. She may also be returned to her son, with the department conducting weekly checks.
--------------------------------------
it's very tragic and sad. wish i could paste the picture here which will do more than words ever will.
feel like commenting, and yet dun feel like commenting. i'm speechless.
on one hand it's beyond me how the son can just watch his skin and bones mom day in day out and live with it. I can't even bear to put upon him the treatment he gave his mom. it's just not something we can tolerate doing to a fellow human being, much less someone as closely related as this.
who am i to judge. he probably has his problems and stress to drive him to such depths of cold heartedness. Senile old folks are also pretty hard to handle and are trying tests of tolerance.
i commented. but still dumbfounded.
so much suffering in this world. i'm sure there're more out there as yet undiscovered. it's tragic. Juggleress, remember this.
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