http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,189995,00.html?
Driven by mum's last wish
Teen sisters take over household duties after single mum dies, but still excel in studies
January 17, 2009
TNP PICTURE: GAVIN FOO
SUDDENLY, adulthood - and the heavy responsibilities that come with it - was abruptly thrust upon two teenage sisters.
Their mother had died and they found themselves alone and having to fend for themselves and caring for their frail grandmother and younger brother.
Yet, Nur Farzana Hairudin, now 19, and Nur Farzira Hairudin, now 17, not only organised their household but managed to excel in their studies.
Farzana, now studying for her Accountancy Diploma at the Singapore Polytechnic, took over the family's financial accounts when their mother, a divorced single parent, died from leukaemia in 2007.
Fazira's duties included looking after their sickly grandmother and 14-year-old brother Muhammad Fareez Hairudin.
Still, she managed to score so well for her O levels that she made the cut for junior college.
She has opted to attend polytechnic instead.
Their father had left the family about 10 years ago and has since moved overseas and remarried.
Money is not a problem as their mother had left behind adequate savings. Their father also occasionally sends them some money.
Their grandmother, Madam Pungot, 68, cannot care for them. She has colon cancer and kidney failure.
Farzana was a first-year student at Singapore Polytechnic when her mother died.
Hers was the immediate responsibility of maintaining the household and keeping the family together.
To add to the stress, school work was piling up, with projects and semester examinations due.
Farzana said: 'I had to grit my teeth and balance my school work with things like the legal issues regarding the house, while dealing with the loss.
'Everyone was still grieving. I had to find out everything on my own.'
When asked, the girls said that their immediate relatives had their own families and their own problems to take care of.
Farzana dug up old documents, called various statutory boards and banks, and spoke to lawyers.
Sharing the burden was Farzira, then 15. She was in the middle of her N-level year in Temasek Secondary School when her mother's condition deteriorated.
She cared for both their elderly grandmother and young brother.
Said Farzira: 'It felt like two of us against the whole world.'
To make matters worse, their grandmother's condition worsened. She had to be admitted to Singapore General Hospital last June.
Having to travel from their home in Bedok to school in Dover and the hospital in Outram every day took a toll on Farzana.
She said: 'It was tiring physically and emotionally. We just dealt with the loss of our mother; we couldn't deal with losing our grandmother as well.'
Added her younger sister: 'Going back to the hospital was really traumatising. It brought back painful times.'
Madam Pungot had to undergo a major intestinal surgery. It was a risky procedure.
Farzana said: 'She was very worried about leaving us all alone. We were both already very scared, but we still had to find the strength to comfort her.'
Despite her heavy commitments in school as a member of the school's student council and as president of the school's choir, she would visit her grandmother every day after school.
Pressing on
'I was studying in the hospital every night after school while visiting my grandma. We were both studying outside the operating theatre, too, during the five hours we were waiting outside for our grandma.'
However tough the going, they were driven by their mother's last wishes for them to become successful.
So Farzira pressed on.
And her perseverance paid off.
She scored 19 points for her O-level L1R5 (one language and five relevant subjects) results which were released on Monday.
'I think our teachers were very helpful and supportive. They spoke to us, gave us a lot of advice and helped us cope.'
Ms Lim Chek Quay, her teacher at Temasek Secondary School, said: 'She is a very brave girl. She opened up a lot to us and we gave her as much emotional support as we could.'
Their friends helped, too.
Said Farzira: 'Many of them didn't really understand what we were going through, but still supported us.'
She also learnt that it is only when you lose someone that you realise how important they have been to you.
'Sometimes my friends would complain about their mother's nagging. And I would think, 'I don't even have a mother, and you're complaining'?'
Despite all they've suffered, the girls are optimistic.
Said Farzana: 'I believe that things will get better eventually. I believe that good things will come out of it if you perservere to the end.'
Bernice Huang, newsroom intern
Driven by mum's last wish
Teen sisters take over household duties after single mum dies, but still excel in studies
January 17, 2009
TNP PICTURE: GAVIN FOO
SUDDENLY, adulthood - and the heavy responsibilities that come with it - was abruptly thrust upon two teenage sisters.
Their mother had died and they found themselves alone and having to fend for themselves and caring for their frail grandmother and younger brother.
Yet, Nur Farzana Hairudin, now 19, and Nur Farzira Hairudin, now 17, not only organised their household but managed to excel in their studies.
Farzana, now studying for her Accountancy Diploma at the Singapore Polytechnic, took over the family's financial accounts when their mother, a divorced single parent, died from leukaemia in 2007.
Fazira's duties included looking after their sickly grandmother and 14-year-old brother Muhammad Fareez Hairudin.
Still, she managed to score so well for her O levels that she made the cut for junior college.
She has opted to attend polytechnic instead.
Their father had left the family about 10 years ago and has since moved overseas and remarried.
Money is not a problem as their mother had left behind adequate savings. Their father also occasionally sends them some money.
Their grandmother, Madam Pungot, 68, cannot care for them. She has colon cancer and kidney failure.
Farzana was a first-year student at Singapore Polytechnic when her mother died.
Hers was the immediate responsibility of maintaining the household and keeping the family together.
To add to the stress, school work was piling up, with projects and semester examinations due.
Farzana said: 'I had to grit my teeth and balance my school work with things like the legal issues regarding the house, while dealing with the loss.
'Everyone was still grieving. I had to find out everything on my own.'
When asked, the girls said that their immediate relatives had their own families and their own problems to take care of.
Farzana dug up old documents, called various statutory boards and banks, and spoke to lawyers.
Sharing the burden was Farzira, then 15. She was in the middle of her N-level year in Temasek Secondary School when her mother's condition deteriorated.
She cared for both their elderly grandmother and young brother.
Said Farzira: 'It felt like two of us against the whole world.'
To make matters worse, their grandmother's condition worsened. She had to be admitted to Singapore General Hospital last June.
Having to travel from their home in Bedok to school in Dover and the hospital in Outram every day took a toll on Farzana.
She said: 'It was tiring physically and emotionally. We just dealt with the loss of our mother; we couldn't deal with losing our grandmother as well.'
Added her younger sister: 'Going back to the hospital was really traumatising. It brought back painful times.'
Madam Pungot had to undergo a major intestinal surgery. It was a risky procedure.
Farzana said: 'She was very worried about leaving us all alone. We were both already very scared, but we still had to find the strength to comfort her.'
Despite her heavy commitments in school as a member of the school's student council and as president of the school's choir, she would visit her grandmother every day after school.
Pressing on
'I was studying in the hospital every night after school while visiting my grandma. We were both studying outside the operating theatre, too, during the five hours we were waiting outside for our grandma.'
However tough the going, they were driven by their mother's last wishes for them to become successful.
So Farzira pressed on.
And her perseverance paid off.
She scored 19 points for her O-level L1R5 (one language and five relevant subjects) results which were released on Monday.
'I think our teachers were very helpful and supportive. They spoke to us, gave us a lot of advice and helped us cope.'
Ms Lim Chek Quay, her teacher at Temasek Secondary School, said: 'She is a very brave girl. She opened up a lot to us and we gave her as much emotional support as we could.'
Their friends helped, too.
Said Farzira: 'Many of them didn't really understand what we were going through, but still supported us.'
She also learnt that it is only when you lose someone that you realise how important they have been to you.
'Sometimes my friends would complain about their mother's nagging. And I would think, 'I don't even have a mother, and you're complaining'?'
Despite all they've suffered, the girls are optimistic.
Said Farzana: 'I believe that things will get better eventually. I believe that good things will come out of it if you perservere to the end.'
Bernice Huang, newsroom intern
