Man, 89, collapses at West Coast work place & dies, employer seeking his family for final arrangements

An 89-year-old massage therapist, well-loved by his manager and colleagues, passed away after collapsing at work.

It happened suddenly on Apr. 20.

Jin Chin Seng, affectionately known as Uncle Jin, told the receptionist at Javanese Massage that he was feeling drowsy, and kept hitting his head with his hand — something the staff had never seen him do.

The next moment, he slowly slid off the chair and collapsed on the floor.

Though he was initially responsive, he became unconscious while in the ambulance, and remained so until he passed away at National University Hospital (NUH) three days later.

Unable to contact Uncle Jin's family, the staff at Javanese Massage hope to find his next of kin for the final arrangements.

Internal bleeding

Uncle Jin's death was very sudden and sad, his manager Sherri said.

The hospital told her there was some internal bleeding in his head, though he had no pre-existing medical conditions.

As his health was deteriorating, they prepared her early that his condition was very unlikely to improve.

On Apr. 23, Sherri visited him in the hospital and, believing he could still hear her, she told him to rest peacefully.

"You don't need to fight back now. You are free," she assured him.

Soon after she returned home, she got a call from the hospital and learnt that Uncle Jin had passed on.

Lost contact with family

According to Sherri, Uncle Jin did not live with any family, but with an elderly flatmate in a rental flat in Choa Chu Kang.

He had lost contact with his son since sometime in late February or March, after losing his phone.

The son, who lives in Shanghai, last visited Uncle Jin with his wife and daughter not long before that, during the Lunar New Year.

Sherri had also met them then, as they also stopped by Javanese Massage.

Apart from the son, the staff at Javanese Massage did not know about the rest of Uncle Jin's family.

"He doesn't like to mention his children," Sherri told Mothership. "He said he will cry."

So when the hospital told her he also had four daughters, it was the first time she had heard of it.

"We will be there for him"

The hospital asked Sherri if she would take care of the funeral arrangements if no one came to claim Uncle Jin's body.

"Of course, I said yes, because he's my employee," Sherri said.

"And [the staff at Javanese Massage] want to say a last goodbye, so all of us will be going for his funeral. If there's no one to claim him, then we will be there for him."

Over the close to two years Uncle Jin worked at the massage parlour in West Coast Plaza, Sherri and his colleagues had grown very close to him.

During breaks, he would often sit with Sherri in the reception area, and they would talk and joke around with each other.

She described him as a quiet man who was also funny and friendly to the staff.

"He's always punctual at work," she said. "We start work at 10am, and he'll be here at 9:30am. He's always early."

The funeral

While searching for Uncle Jin's family, Sherri said she was contacted by Fei Yue Community Services, who offered to hold a funeral for him pro bono.

If that happens, the company will still give Fei Yue a token of appreciation, she told Mothership.

But most of all, she hopes someone in the family will reach out soon, and be able to say goodbye to Uncle Jin in time.

Top images from Sherri