Rachel Ho Yann Shiuan, like many kids, had many dreams - donning the national netball jersey or becoming a banker.

Just like her dad, who works in a bank.

But her dreams were cruelly dashed on the morning of June 5, when a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Sabah, raining rocks down Mount Kinabalu - which Rachel and her school mates from Tanjong Katong Primary School were trying to conquer.

Rachel Ho, Peony Wee, Ameer Ryyan Mohd Adeed Sanjay, Emilie Giovanna Ramu, Matahom Karyl Mitzi Higuit and Sonia Jhala.

Six young lives lost. Six promising narratives halted. Six names we will not forget.

James Ho, father of Rachel Ho, opened up to the media despite still grieving.

Wiping back his tears, the 45-year-old banker told The Straits Times:

"Rachel has a few peculiar habits. One of which is obviously to smell me before she sleeps since baby. So we have a ritual every night. She'd come to my room, hold my hand, take a walk to her bedroom, lie her down in bed and she will kiss me all over, including my lips, and we hug and say a few things before we go to bed. She has a little pillow that has my smell so she smells that and then she will go sleep".

And she will always tell me: 'You cannot leave the room until I fall asleep.' That is a ritual that I will miss a lot."

Recounting that last moment he and his wife had with Rachel at the airport, he said: "She actually cried before she left us and that was rare because she has always been a girl who had less of an attachment - always a brave one, always someone who could be independent. But just before she went, she actually cried, hugged both my wife and myself and she said she'd miss us.

And we thought that was probably a sign before she went for the trip." At this point, he choked.

"Her last words to us were 'I miss you a lot.'"

Ho told The New Paper that he and his wife still hoped that Rachel was still alive until he saw the picture.

"We could clearly identify Rachel as she was wearing a pink jacket. It was then we accepted that she was gone. And all we wished for was to retrieve her body."

Nucleus of the family

Described as the nucleus that held the family together, Rachel was also part of the netball school team in Tanjong Katong Primary School for the past three years and dreamt of being in the national netball team, said Ho.

It was fitting that the Team Singapore netballers, fresh from their gold medal triumph, paid a visit to her wake and presented Ho with an autographed replica of the SEA Games medal.