197th: R.I.P Andre Tang Jia Rong (Sg)

Good evening readers,
I've got a boy's history to share with yall. Read it well, if u'r interested. :)

I came across his story published on the front page of the newspaper

(The New Paper, A Singapore Press Holdings Publication).

The Main Title: THEIR 15-YEAR MIRACLE

Sub-headings: Docs gave S'pore boy born with 'Half A Heart' 3 days to live. But parents refused to give up hope.

Background:-

Name: Andre Tang Jia Rong

D.O.B: 7th Sept 1994 (15th, yr 2009)

- He was a child who had an extremely rare condition,

that was him surviving with only "half a heart",

unlike us, who survives with a healthy heart condition.

- When the docs discovered the unborn child (Andre) had an extremely rare condition,

leaving him with only "half a heart", they tried to get his parents to abort him.

- However, his parents refused! Doctors then gave the baby (Andre) 3 days to live.

- His parents learnt about this during a scan in the 22nd wk of pregnancy, doctors advised them to abort him (Andre). A doctor said at the time that his chances of surviving was very slim.

- His mother, Mrs April Tang, 41, said:

"The doctor said I was still young. I could have another baby. We were so heartbroken!

But I wanted to give Andre at least a chance of life, even if it cost us everything we had.

I told him that I wanted him to have a name, an identity, and IC...

And he did get one, last week. I wanted him to have friends, and he has tons of them."

-The teenager (Andre) was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

Only his right side of his heart was formed!

In other words, he had only 1/2 a heart to pump blood around his body.

- Andre's father is Mr. Tang Ngai Kin, 55, who coaches the national women's 4x100m relay team(Sg).

"Life's like a 100m race. Only when the race ends can we know who is the winner,"

said the S'pore Press Holdings group acc manager.

Andre's father said,

"I prayed very, very hard, and I was rewarded. He was our miracle child!

Throughout his life, we've been through countless obstacles, ups & downs. And, Andre has really fought a GOOD FIGHT!!!"

- Andre's family & friends describe him as "charming", "cheerful" and "immaculate".

- He was the peacemaker in the family, who would solve problems instead of causing them.

- As a result of his condition, the Secondary 3 ACS Barker student couldn't participate in most sports, and had to do many things slowly.

** He typically spent 1 & 1/2 hrs eating his meals,

and could only walk for a few mins b4 he felt tired.

Sometimes, he had fainting spells,a nd had to go to the hospital.

He took up bowling, as a co-curricular activity in Primary 6,

but stopped after he found it too tiring to hold the bowling ball.

Instead, he focused on painting, mostly in acrylic.

Last July, his work was featured in an annual art exhibition organised

by the charity Very Special Arts S'pore.

Last year (2008), he sold some of his paintings to purchase a laptop.

- His condition has been deteriorating gradually over the past 2 years.

- Last Sept, he collapsed while in school.

After that, Andre went to school for only 2hrs each day.

Said Mrs Tang,

"Everytime he comes home, I see a very tired child. But he's smiling all the way."

- 2 weeks ago, he asked his parents for a stool, so he could sit while bathing,

and a cream-coloured lipstick, so that the publics' wouldn't stare a his dark-coloured lips.

- A few days later, he asked if the maid could bathe him, his father said.

"It seemed like a bizarre thing to say at that time,

but now we understand why he said it," added Mr Tang.

- It seemed Andre himself was aware that his body was weakening.

He asked his sis, Andrea, who is an active swimmer, to win a gold medal for him.

- He left instructions to Andrea to take care of his cat, which he named "Kiasu".

He also asked his family to leave his computer, laptop & desk as they are,

because he "will come back".

Mr Tang said:

"Andre used to ask me: Why doesn't GOD take me back, so that in my next life, I can jump, swim, play, without catching my breath?"

Andre would say:

'If I had a normal life, I would be better in sports than you (father).' He said that he would represent ACS in sports.'

- It was Andre's pride in his school that motivated his family's decision to cremate him in his school uniform.

How did it happened? Climax:

- Andre had just finished watching his favourite TV show (Tom & Jerry cartoons) with his family and was tucked into bed. Mr Tang said that he continued to watch TV with his wife when Andre called out: "MUMMY!!!"

- He said:

"We went to his room, and saw him sitting upright on his bed. He held his hands in front of his chest, and was shivering."

Mr Tang called Andre's sister, Andrea, 13, and Andreana, 10, and the whole family gathered around Andre as he died.

"I felt that his heart was slowing down, and that his hands were loosening. When he began foaming at the mouth, I knew it was the end," he said.

- Mrs Tang added:

"He left us peacefully, in my arms, just like the way I held him when he first came to us."

Minutes before his death...

- Mr Tang said that before Andre died, Andre told his mother:

"Don't be sad. If I go, I'll be well-taken care of by GOD. Anyway, I'll be around.

I'll be an angel looking around. I will help you all. Don't worry about the funeral expenses.

They will be answered. GOD will help us."

>> Andre Tang died on Sunday (12.7.2009) at about 10pm

in the family's Pasir Ris (s'pore) home.

*Dad of boy with 1/2 a heart says his son fought the good fight.

*His friend says: 'The 15 years was a great blessing!'

- Said Ahmed (Andre's best friend):

"Andre once old me that after he walked 4 or 5 steps up a flight of stairs, he would start panting, so I had to wait for him."

When Andre said that he might go off any time,

Ahmed told his friend that a miracle might happen.

Andre replied that a miracle had already happened,

because he had already lived for so long.

Ahmed was among the friends who took care of Andre in school everyday.

Said Mrs Tang, " Those friends were like bodyguards."

There were usually 3 of them, including Ahmed. One would carry Andre's school bag, the other carry his water bottle, and one would just accompany him. Like Andre, these friends get to take the lift to their classroom on the 4th floor of the school.

If Andre had to cross a distance, his friends would piggyback him.

(They are only little boys, but they know how to treat their friends sincerely.)

A blue-themed party - Andre's fav colour was blue - will be held at the Church of The Holy Spirit on Friday at 10am, before the cortege leaves at 11am for Mandai Crematorium.

REST IN PEACE, Andre Tang! :)

***

As I was reading about it in the newspaper this afternoon,

my tears started rolling down my cheeks.

This boy here had a very beautiful heart, even though its just half of a heart.

He was a total stranger to me,

but reading the brief history of his life in the news made me realised that,

they are others out there in this world,

who are also trying their best to survive,

and their amount of endurance that is way much heavier than mine,

is nothing compared to theirs.

So, yeah! toldcha Life's short, live it to the fullest, no regrets of crs!

ohhh shoosh, gotta go check my results now! danggg~

*scaredddd*

xx