Elderly S'porean man living out last days by himself, views death as no big deal

Life is part and parcel of death.

Kayla Wong | September 04, 2018, 05:46 PM

A Singaporean man who was told he only has two months left to live, has come to accept death as part and parcel of life.

Dying is no big deal

In a video interview with Lianhe Zaobao, the elderly man Yu Pei Lai said:

"Everyone dies.

No matter how healthy you are, you will still die eventually. So there's no need to think of it as a big deal.

Us dying is the same as ants and birds dying."

Diagnosed with diabetes years ago

Yu, a retired taxi driver, was diagnosed with diabetes 30 years ago.

However, his condition took a turn for the worse when his kidneys started failing some years back.

As he did not see any visible health improvement among his friends who were going for dialysis, he decided not to go for treatment.

Instead, he used medication to control his condition.

To make matters worse, he suffered a stroke seven years ago while working.

He was accepting payment from a passenger when the money slipped from his hand. 

Although his eyes registered the movement, his hand failed to sense it.

The video did not mention how old he is, but he looks to be in his 60s or early 70s.

Living out his final moments alone

Recently, Yu, who was never married and lives by himself, heard from the doctor that he only had less than two months left to live.

Although he had made the necessary preparations for when his inevitable death comes, he could not help but feel lonely at times.

Buying food takes a long time for him -- he can barely walk ten steps without having to stop to take a rest.

But he said he feels the loneliest when he visits the doctor by himself.

Nevertheless, he said he tries to take things in his stride:

"Times are changing.

The youth now thinks differently from the previous generation.

We have to go with the times."

Donating his body after he dies

Unlike most people, Yu has decided not to hold a funeral after his death.

He thought that since he is not married, other than some friends and relatives, there is no one else to hold the funeral for, adding that the dead are unable to see their own funerals.

Yu also plans to donate his body for educational and research purposes.

Sympathise with Yu

Responses to the video were of sympathy.

Some who commented even said they wanted to link him up with volunteers who would accompany him during his last days.

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You can watch his video interview here:

Top image via Lianhe Zaobao/FB