Man with special needs falls to his death from HDB block while looking for pet hamster

Jackson Wong, a 37-year-old man with special needs, fell to his death from his eighth storey apartment unit at Blk 200 Toa Payoh North on 26 Apr, around 5.20pm.

According to the Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao, Wong had been looking for his pet hamster when the fatal fall occurred. Wong, who lived with his elderly parents and three siblings, was not alone at home at the time of the unfortunate accident.

The Association For Persons with Special Needs (APSN) published a moving tribute to Wong on their Facebook page on Tuesday. Identifying Wong as an alumnus, ASPN confirmed that his fall occurred “while searching for his pet hamster.”

ASPN Senior Alumni Executive K Shasikaran penned the following eulogy for Wong:

“You started caring for everyone from the minute you awoke every day, I fondly remember you when you asked if you could buy breakfast for your friends – and you did even when you did not have enough for yourself. And your reasoning was, “I care for them because they are my friends”.

“You gave up your seat in the coach and your meals when you saw that your friends didn’t have enough or were tired. You were the first to volunteer yourself to assist your friends when they needed your assistance.

“You were consistently early for all the outings, you infected everyone with your shy demeanour, you disliked making eye contacts but you reserved your fond gestures to the volunteers by ensuring you said thank you after every programme.

“You were close to your friends but you were much closer to your family, and you remembered to quote your dad’s advice to you whenever you were about to make a mistake and realised your actions could cause your loved ones to be angry. Each and every time prior to leaving the programme, you asked if you could have extra bento sets/food to bring back home for your siblings, you always thought about your family.

“In the end, what mattered most to you is the fact that you were able to put a smile on everyone that you came across with all the little, thoughtful & significant gestures that defined you. Thank you Jackson for the fond memories.” /TISG

Read ASPN’s post in full here: