The Journey (Part 2)

Ok, Mum died.

It took about a week, for our insurers NTUC, to arrange for a Rome Undertaker, to liaise with Florence Undertaker - and prepare the body for repatriation.

Trying to get flights out, was another challenge.
Undertaker could not get space on SQ (well, had to wait 2-3 weeks). Next Thai Airways flight (original ticket), was also going to be in 2-3 weeks. After a call to SQ, not only did they get us space on the best available flight, they helped my dad and me find space on the same flight, my brother and his family to fly back from Venice/London respectively - to Singapore, all at a very special compassionate price. 


On the day we were to leave, we had to get a car (arranged by NTUC - plug: never travel w/o travel insurance. Never.) to Rome, to fly out. Enroute there, we got stuck on the highway - at some points, we were just stationary for... 45 min, and no idea of how long we were going to take. Our 2 hour buffer time, just whittled away. Oh, interesting thing I observed. Whilst stuck, a truck came along the road shoulder, stopping and distributing water.  Angels from Road Assistance. And free too!

After what seemed ages, we finally got past the trouble spot (truck accident), and raced to the airport, reaching at 11am, for 12 flight. That was the cut-off SQ gave us, and we (even our luggage) made it.

Throughout this whole episode in Italy, I am so thankful that
1. The medical care my mum got, was 2nd to none. (ok, apparently, Italy is rated #2 in the world, after France, according to my uncle). The doctors and nurses showed empathy, constant care and attention. And it was also free.... which probably explains the national debt.


2. For the time I got to spend with my dad. Priceless.


3. The hotel we stayed in, the staff were super helpful. They did their best to find rooms for the 3 of us, when it was super peak season, and went out to assist us, whether it was to print things, fax things, at all hours.

4. That my mum got to spend her last 2 weeks, with the family. This truly what made her the happiest.
We lived in Vietnam, my brother in London - and I know she misses spending time with us, esp the grand kids. This was really the best way for her to go.

5. I felt that my dad was really thoughtful towards my mum, leading up to her illness. And my mum responded very positively. She told me "without my dad, she'll already been dead", a few days before her hospitalization. I was positively stunned.

6. Throughout the time in ICU, I thought that short of a full healing by God, the current outcome would have been the best. My mum isn't one to handle illness all that well, and with so many of her organs shutting down, one at a time, there has to be some permanent damage, even if she recovers. Plus a lung tumor to deal with. And with the tissue deterioration, she would freak out completely, seeing the state of her physical body. So self-fishly, her being sedated, possibly slipping into a coma, then passing away, those days in the ICU, I'd never seen my mum so... calm, so at peace - ironically.

7. Singapore Airlines was great, in helping to get the coffin and us back.

8. That in God's timing, we arrived at the airport, just in the nick of time.

What can I say, except that everything went according to God's perfect plan. Praise God above the heavens. Praise God.