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Determined to leave the world on a positive note, one 38-year-old woman in Singapore personally planned for her funeral to be like a birthday party, with lottery tickets given out to friends and family who came to pay their condolences.

According to Chinese Daily Shin Min Daily News, Evelyn Hoi, passed away from lung cancer recently, after battling the disease for months.

Her wake was held at Clementi on Oct. 11.

Stage 4 lung cancer

Speaking to Shin Min reporters, her husband, Royston Lim, 41, shared that his wife had begun experiencing chest pains in June.

Hoi, who works as a PR manager at a bank, was subsequently diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, despite never having smoked nor drank, and having led a "regular life", said Lim.

While Hoi received treatment for her advanced lung cancer, her condition subsequently deteriorated rapidly.

Sensing that her days were numbered, Hoi began planning for her funeral 10 days before she passed.

"We planned according to her wishes, showing her sketches of the decorations, including the colour scheme that she wanted etc", said Lim.

A generous and giving person

Hoi's older sister shared that Hoi had always been a generous and giving person.

She enjoyed helping others and did not like seeing others upset.

She had thus thought of the idea of preparing for her funeral as a happy occasion instead.

Hoi's sister told Shin Min reporters that in this way, Hoi had hoped to complete the final leg of her journey in a festive and positive atmosphere:

"We did our best to arrange for that, including giving out gummies to funeral-goers, instead of the traditional hard candy."

In addition, they also bought 200 lottery tickets, as it had been Hoi's wish to give out tickets to friends and family who attended the funeral, hoping it would bring them good luck.

According to Shin Min, the wake was also decorated with several balloons and other ornaments, including rainbow-coloured ones on each side of the altar, and a giant one shaped like bubble tea.

According to Hoi's sister, this was because bubble tea had been Hoi's favourite drink before she passed, and she had personally requested for it to be prepared for her wake.

Lim added that on top of funeral wake preparations, Hoi had even arranged to give away the many branded bags and accessories in her possession to friends and family, prior to passing on.

This was meant to be a memento of sorts.

Farewell letters

Lim shared that Hoi had penned farewell letters to himself, her parents, and her sister six hours before her death, despite being in severe pain.

She had also requested for them to read what was written only after she passed on, said Lim.

He said of his wife's considerate and joyful nature: "Her positivity impressed even the medical staff who were looking after her then. Marrying her is the luckiest thing that's ever happened to me."

Her only regret was not being able to travel to countries like Europe and Thailand due to the pandemic, as Lim shared that Hoi had always loved to travel.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News