Sweetest Child

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

i didn't know this post existed until i happened to see it as a result of google search.

Tay Xin Yu (Joreen) has passed away yesterday at SGH at 1.15pm.

She was my childhood friend and we spent lots of memorable childhood years together.
She was remarkable, a true angel, very bubbly and has a never say die attitude.
very responsible, fillial and really sincere and nice to all her friends and people around her.
I can hardly find any flaws in this girl.
She is really this good.

Even when she was undergoing such pain, she would still put on a brave front and tell everyone she is fine so that people around her won't worry.
Before her relapse, she even told me that she is fine and recovered already, which i realize that she actually has not.

it was my pleasure knowing a friend like her, someone i will never forget.

Those who wish to send her on her last journey and bid goodbye, her wake is held at Blk 705 Tampines St 71, cremation is on thursday morning.

♥ kissesfrombeigi

Written @ 10:41 PM

When we were young, we met up every week and travelled from the east to the north of Singapore for piano lessons together, missing stops and always alighting at wrong stations.

Our journey, even though 1 hour, always seems so short and is always filled with giggles, stories of our respective classmates cuz we were from different schools, gossips about the nasty boy who always disturbed you and about the rude girl who said your mum's cooking was bad.

After lessons, we were always gallivanting around, shopping, visiting arcades, doing all the girly stuffs together, going to each other's homes to play, we even wrote a story book together and you had such a flair for drawing, i even remember how your handwriting looks like.

Even when we were kids, you were already so determined and positive. Our piano teacher was always singing praises about how sensible and selfless you were, taking up so many jobs so as not to be a burden to your parents. Days with you back then were really fun and memorable, you were a part of my childhood, even my mum loved you.

We drifted apart in secondary school, still stayed in contact but much lesser than before, we still met up occassionally to catch up and do our usual gossips.

In 2006, you were diagnosed with blood cancer, but you told everyone you were fine once you were discharged, you were always smiling and saying that you're ok. you even told me you were completely recovered. Even at this critical time, you were still so considerate about the people around you, preventing them from worrying about you.

After 2 years of struggling with this illness, you left us yesterday.
I hope you will be happy and blessed.

I wish i spent more time with you, i want to tell you that you're really pretty with that great smile, i want to ask you all about your europe trip, i want to tell you that i really appreciate your help when i needed it the most, thank you for being there, thank you for being my friend.

I love you, Joreen Tay Xin Yu. (1982-2008)

♥ Posted by Dawn Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Written @ 10:29 PM

[Posted on: 29-Apr-2008]

Summary: We regret to inform you that Miss Tay Xin Yu a Dip Ed (Gen) Year 2 student teacher, diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2006 passed away yesterday (28 Apr) at 1.15 pm in Singapore General Hospital.

Details:
Dear NIE Students

We regret to inform you that Miss Tay Xin Yu a Dip Ed (Gen) Year 2 student teacher, diagnosed with Lymphoma in 2006 passed away yesterday (28 Apr) at 1.15 pm in Singapore General Hospital.

You may recall that we held a bone marrow donation drive this year for Xin Yu on 12 and 13 Mar. We also did a fund raising for her in Sep 2007.

As one of her last wishes, Xin Yu would like to express her thanks to all staff/students who have helped her in terms of monetary contributions, assisted or provided blood sample for testing during the bone marrow donation drive for her.

Her wake is held at the void deck near her house at Block 701, Tampines Street 71 from 28 to 30 Apr. The funeral is on 1 May.

SEAH-LEE MOI FONG (MRS)
Assistant Head/Student Liaison
Foundation Programmes Office

♥ Posted in NIE Portal

Written @ 3:38 PM

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

it's sad that after such a long time since i last posted, the next post that i shall be doing is an eulogy.i've known joreen since my sec sch days in tanjong katong. we were in the same cca and were classmates for 2 years during sec 3 and 4.i remember her as a very strong character, who never gives up without a fight. and i'm glad that i've got the honour to know such a fine lady whose attributes i really admired.since she's been diagnosed with cancer, it's been trips after trips to the hospital for her regular sessions of chemotheraphy and check ups. i can't even list all of the treatment that she has undergone because that would take up a huge amount of this post.seeing her with the needles poked into her arms (yes armS, cos the doctor has to alternate the tubes) always made me cringe not only because i have a fear of needles but also because i could see the pain she was going through whenever they adjusted anything on her. but being the brave fighter she was, she wore a brave front all the time, making it seemed like part of the routine that she has gotten used to. it's these little things that she always does to always make others feel more comfortable, even if it meant going out of her way to do it.initially i didn't visit her that often. actually she kept it from me for a very long time until i just had a feeling, that odd nudge from God perhaps, to message her.so to start off messaging a friend i haven't been in contact with after a year or two, i started with "how have you been?" expecting everything to be rosy and all. but her reply was as subtle as possible. in just 6 words she replied "i have actually been very sick"."sick" isn't the word to describe an ailment like what you had, joreen. "sick" is for like a flu, or a fever or a pesky cough that won't go away. "sick" was never intended to go along with "cancer", at least to me.i was devastated to say the least. i would never expect anything like this to happen to such a bubbly personality. but that was the way joreen was, not wanting to tell everybody, lest she put them through too much trouble to visit her etc etc. she was always the nice considerate lady, all the time. to her, she was just "sick".so from then on, i paid more attention to her, occasionally checking up on her to see how she's been progressing. it's been a long fight to say the least. she was in hospital every other week and though she wouldn't say it, it must have been really really dull (not to mention painful) since she was in a single room ward.but i thank god really. i took the chance to share with her whenever my schedule permitted about christianity and about god. she had so many questions even up to her last days and you could see a genuine hunger from a non believer that was perhaps even stronger than mine, a thirst to know more about God and his love. it put me to shame really.i still remember she asked me about adam and eve, if they were the first humans to be made by god, who did their son marry?? if you want to know my reply, feel free to contact me.i thank god once again, that the seed i sowed, he has harvested and joreen came to accept christ a few months back (yes even this she kept from me until i asked) and had joined the new creation church.of course i was overjoyed. like what the sermon said last sunday, everyone that we reach out to, if they come to believe in God, it will be a soul saved from death. and in return, shall gain eternal life.simple sharings like these, it brings joy to our hearts as we exchange knowledge about the god we love. those sharings were so blessed and i remember i used to stay till a few hours went by unknowingly. but it was time well spent, to be with such a long time friend, sharing more about the god who loves us.though the past few months have been exceeding harsh on her and her family, joreen still fought on despite her pain. even when the side effects were kicking in, affecting her stomach, causing her not to be able to take solid food, she was still the bubbly joreen i've known all this while.sometimes when i see her, i can't help but cry cos to see her in that state, it was really unbearable. no one should go through all the suffering she did and it felt really helpless to be just standing there not being able to make her feel better. all we could do was to pray. sometimes when she sees me crying when i come to visit, it's her who cheers me up instead! i know it sounds rather shameful for me, but that's joreen. in her pain, she still found joy to share with those around her.and i am so glad i got to sing worship songs the last time i visited her, and shared to her more about god. god gave her so little time on earth in human's perspectives yet god used her in a wonderful way to reach out to her family. i pray that god uses me too. he's given me a healthy body to do his work and i feel really guilty at all the times i felt i should have been a better soldier of god.it always takes a terminal disease like this to make us realise how frail and fragile we actually are, and how much we are in need of God. the skeptics might argue, if God is so great, then why doesn't he heal her?but that's missing the point. yes he is great, and he can do everything. but must he do everything that we want?non believers often feel that christians are weird because we can find joy in death, but that's only because we know our god has prepared a place for us in heaven where we will enjoy eternal life. can you imagine eternity? have you ever felt forever before?he knows forth the paths in our lives and he will guide us to walk along that path. i believe that everything happened according to God's plan, for in the process, joreen's entire family as well as her boyfriend, came to be christians!the whole of heaven rejoices!and to a wonderful friend, joreen, between you and i, we know it's not the end. when my time comes, we shall have eternity in heaven to continue to rejoice in the presence of our god.2 Tim 4:7 "i have fought a good fight, i have finished my course, i have kept the faith"indeed you have joreen. and god would have said "well done, my child"her wake will be held at a pavilion near block 704, tampines ave 5 from today till wednesday. the casket shall leave on thurs for the crematorium.your presence and comforting words is of great importance for her family in this time of greive.

♥ Derrick - d poh remembers 12:40:00 AM

Written @ 12:40 AM

Monday, April 28, 2008

On 28 April 2008…I lost a friend. God took her away from all her sufferings, gave her, her long lost happiness but God also left us feeling pain. I was mentally prepared that she will leave me sooner or later. But never did I expect it to be so soon. I kept telling myself that I should be happy for her now that she is no longer suffering from the pain and torture of her illness. She is finally free after 2 years.. but I just cant prevent the tears from overflowing . God has not only taken away with him, a normal friend of mine, God has taken someone who has left her footprints in me the last 10 yrs. I have so many stories to tell her. I wanted to tell her about this person who fake marriage.. I want to share with her all that have been happening in school. I want to go KTV with her.. I want to go on tour again with her. I want to seek her opinion regarding my life. Now, there isn’t anymore chance. Now that she is gone, I only have myself to talk to.

She didn’t want us to be sad. She didn’t want her condition to affect us. She tried to keep her condition from us. I am trying to be the girl she wanted me to be and I am trying very hard…….learning to

Her New House: Mandai Crematorium,Block D,Row 6,Niche Number 530.

♥ Jaslyn Chong Apr 28, '08 10:15 AM

Written @ 8:10 AM