SINGAPORE: The story of an 87-year-old woman working as a cleaner to support her grandchildren after her son passed away and her daughter-in-law left got a lot of attention after an online user shared her story on social media.
A screengrab of a Facebook post by online user James Ong was shared in a forum on Thursday (Feb 20). The post highlighted the moving story of an elderly grandmother who continues to clean tables for a living despite her age and a tiring daily commute, all for the love of her grandchildren.
“Yesterday, while having lunch at Tampines Hub hawker centre, I came across an 87-year-old lady cleaning tables,” read the screenshot of Mr Ong’s post, originally published on Feb 11. “She told me that she has to take three bus transfers to get to work and the same long journey home to Sembawang. She said no one nearby was willing to hire her, but she desperately needed a job to support her 17-year-old grandson, who is studying at Singapore Polytechnic. Despite taking on part-time jobs, he still struggles to make ends meet. She also has a 14-year-old granddaughter who is still in school and relies on her for support.
“Her story is heartbreaking… Her son passed away during his time as a Commando, and her daughter-in-law, a Chinese national, has left. Now, this elderly woman has no choice but to continue working hard just to raise her grandchildren.”
The writer called on the public to show support for the inspiring woman. “If you are in the area, please lend a helping hand to this poor old lady who is still toiling away for her family,” he urged.
Many responded to the post. While some expressed scepticism over the story, others were eager to express support, asking if there was a way to contribute financial support. “Is this for real? Can anyone confirm? If so, I’m happy to contribute to a fund to help her,” said one commenter. Others offered some advice and left suggestions.
However, one comment stood out, providing a slightly different perspective. “The post was initially posted a week ago in a Telegram channel,” the comment claimed.
“I went down to speak to the auntie a week ago after seeing the post on Telegram and offered help as I work in a social service agency. Her younger granddaughter is 16, not 14 years old, according to her, entering poly later this year. She claimed she had sought SSO assistance before but was rejected.
She and her grandkids stay with her daughter-in-law, whom she does not have a good relationship with. I gave her my number to pass [on] to her grandchildren so they could reach out to me, as we need to do a home visit to assess authenticity. But I have not heard back from her or her grandkids since then.”
See also: Should you give money to the elderly in public spaces? Singaporeans weigh in