I admit that gratitude is not a feeling that comes naturally to me; like many Singaporeans, I like to complain.
I admit that gratitude is not a feeling that comes naturally to me; like many Singaporeans, I like to complain. But after reading about little Javier Lim, I teared up and felt extremely grateful. Little Javier’s only nine years old, but he has had five brain tumours in the last three years. His brain has been cut up 10 times in various operations.
His mother, Sharon, shared their family’s heartwrenching story with us on page 90. Despite the physical, emotional and financial pain, the family has gathered strength from the many supportive people around them, and for that, they count their blessings. With that thought in mind, it’s not the end of the world if your child didn’t do as well as you’d hoped in the year-end exams (page 70).
What’s important is that they’re happy and healthy, and get to spend more time with you during the school break. Check out our School Holiday Issue stories (from page 72) for loads of ideas on what to do, watch, read, play, where to travel to and more. If you have a baby or toddler, have a look at our extensive spread of hot new toys that entertain and boost development (page 42).
Download our digital edition for videos to see how some of them work. We also highlight the trend of breast-milk jewellery here (page 48) – more mums are customising pieces that contain their precious breast milk as keepsakes of their nursing journey.
Two mothers also share their harrowing deliveries: one with preemie twins born four months early and weighing only 700g each; another who had a placenta abruption, causing her baby to be deprived of oxygen and with the prognosis of brain damage or worse (page 38). Happily, all three kids are alive and thriving today. Like Javier, these miracle babies remind us that every day with our children is a day we should treasure.
