IN MEMORY OF ZI YU (Melissa Than Beatty '00)

08 February 2009, Sunday, 1551hrs SG Time GMT+8.00

Last night, a family lost their beloved son and his siblings their brother; a girl lost her loving boyfriend, a basketball team lost a committed team member and my brother lost a wonderful friend that he looked upon as a brother figure. Let us all observe a minute of silence in memory of Wong Zi Yu, who passed on last night, on 7 February 2009. Let us pray for his soul to finally be free from his earthly pains and illness, and may he finally find peace with the Big Guy.

It all started with a heart transplant. Following, he slipped into a coma and slowly deteriorated. His last moments were spent in a comatose state filled with laboured breathing and numerous tubes attached onto him. Although slow and painful, his last moments were also filled with family members and lots of friends by his side, grieving painfully but at the same time, trying to be courageous and strong for him. It was a testament of the love and joy that he brought to the people that were present last night and the importance of his presence in their life.

Although Zi Yu and I were considered to be more like acquaintances, studying in the same Secondary school but barely interacting, it hurts me very much to write about him in past tense. It felt almost surreal to know that he was gone. He was only 24 years old with a very promising life ahead of him and with so many dreams unfulfilled.

Zi Yu was a rather close friend of my brother as they played basketball together at the community centre together. Every so often, both of them would hang out together and ride their motorbikes late into the night.

Last night, my brother shared anecdotes of Zi Yu with me. My brother told me that Zi Yu was a generous friend who was very intelligent and unassuming, and would not hesitate to tutor his teammates in their homework whenever they needed his help. My brother also spoke of his enormous appetite which earned him the nickname of “rice tub”.

When Zi Yu passed on, he was a mere shadow of his former self, bringing tears and a rush of pain to those who set eyes on him. How could such a perfectly wonderful person be inflicted with such a cruel fate and pain?

His demise is a loss to a lot of people but let us all learn to release the pain with the passage of time. Zi Yu may have physically departed, but his memories will always remain in the hearts of those who knew and loved him, larger than life and just a heartbeat away.


From Sister Goldie:
I might not know him well, but as a friend who saw him every now and then; my heart ached when he was gone. He was a very good friend of my brother, someone who joked a lot and brought laughter into people’s life. He will be deeply missed by everyone who knows him and I pray for his soul to be freed from pain and I wish for his family member and people who love him to celebrate his passing and not grieve as he has left this world to a happier place that’s not filled with pain.