The Struggle

Ray of Hope has previously assisted Mr Lee and his family with their groceries expenses. A workplace accident in one accident 8 years ago turned their lives around completely when an overloaded crane that Mr Lee was operating fell onto him. Since her husband was certified permanently unfit to work, Mrs Lee started working as a part-time cashier to provide for the family. However, she is only able to work part-time due to her caregiving duties and only brings home between $550 to $600 a month. The accident not only robbed him of his health, it also placed the family of 7 in a state of loss, especially when he was the sole breadwinner of the family.

With the loss of Mr Lee’s income, the family is struggling as 4 of their children (22, 20, 17 & 16) are schooling full-time. Only their eldest son (25) is currently working and schooling part-time, as the rest of their children are struggling to do well in their studies.

Give Hope to the Family of 7

Besides Mr Lee’s permanent disability, two of their children are also suffering from multiple medical conditions. Their eldest son is diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse and mild mitral regurgitation, while their 17-year-old son has Nephrotic Syndrome, Marfan Syndrome, Swyer James Syndrome, cognitive tissue disease on top of his asthma. The devoted and loving father once told us that there were times when he had to borrow money from his close friends, just so he could put food on the table for his family. It has never been easy asking for loans, and the couple confided in us that as much as they dislike having to borrow money from their friends to make ends meet every month. They also do not wish to carry on borrowing money from their friends, as it worries them that they might never be able to repay their debts.

When the case workers visited the family, Mrs Lee also shared with us that there were occasions when the children returned home at 8pm after school, famished after a long day in school. Instead of approaching their parents for allowances like what most children will do, the siblings chose to keep it from their parents for fear of further contributing to their parents’ stress and frustration by approaching them for allowances when the family’s finances are extremely low. Mrs Lee feels apologetic towards them for not having the means to provide the best for them, and she hopes that one day her children would be able to get out of the poverty cycle. It pains her deeply that her children are going through this due to the family’s financial difficulties, but Mrs Lee is touched and heartened by how sensible her children are.

Financial Breakdown

Ray of Hope would like to raise $895.16 for the school fees for Mr Lee’s 20-year-old daughter, Briana so that her studies will not be disrupted as a result of her outstanding school fees. Briana is expected to complete her Diploma course in April 2020. Payment will be made directly to the school.

*Mr Lee is currently receiving $300 of SSO assistance.