"He was a very very good boy", lamented his mother.
I hate it when this happens! WHy do bad things have to happen to good people. Why do people have to "go" just like this. I want to blame someone but I don't know who to holler at. It's just unfair.. it could have happened to some bad crook destined for hell -- but no, it had to happen to a young 18 year old chap, God loving and with a passion to do all things great!
I love passionate people and it seems to be that Thaddeus was one such person. What did he do to deserve this. I know I don't know him in person, but deep down inside it seems I've known him for forever. We would have gotten along. That burning zest for life and the desire to make things happen. I feel torn inside. I am very angry. Why didn't God stop this from happening.
if i never get to heaven then at least i will have known,
i had an angel here on earth that i could call my very own,
and if this world should end tomorrow girl this much i know is true,
i found my piece of heaven the day that i found you
Sometimes, you really never know when you'll take your last breath. It's times like this I know to treasure family and friends. Sometimes you only have one chance, before it slips away like silk in the wind.
Have you told your family you love them?
He had just qualified to represent Singapore in the triathlon at the South-East Asian Games in December.
But moments after crossing the finish line during a time trial yesterday, 17-year-old Thaddeus Cheong collapsed unconscious. The Raffles Junior College student was rushed to Changi General Hospital. Ninety minutes later, he was pronounced dead.
The time trial began at the Tanah Merah Country Club at 6.45am and saw 12 triathletes swim 1.5km, cycle 40km and then run 10km along Changi Coastal Road.
Thaddeus had been with the national squad for two-and-a-half years. He came in third yesterday with a time of 2hrs 9min, booking, for the first time, his ticket to the games. The qualifying time was 2hrs 12mins.
Last night, Thaddeus' mother Angeline Wee struggled to keep her composure as she told Today: "His heart had already stopped beating when we reached the hospital.
"He collapsed at the end point and there was no medical help. No one knew how to do CPR."
She added: "We're not blaming TAS (Triathlon Association of Singapore) but we hope that they should ensure that no one will ever experience the pain we're going through again."
Mr David Hoong, honorary secretary of TAS, said no CPR was administered because they were unsure what had caused the collapse and wanted to rush Thaddeus to hospital.
10 comments:
Over-exertion? A medical condition which had been overlooked? Seems like being a running Singapore men who collapses midway is a trivial matter waiting to be swept under the carpet...
That's absurd! I took CPR course at St John... first thing we were trained to do was to check for pulse and breathing. If the heart stopped beating, should start administering CPR immediately.
I'll rather risk some internal injury than to let that child die from heart attack.
Still... its just sad.
It's strange. Don't they have a medical team and ambulance on standby for this kind of events? Even though it's a trial, the organisers should take this seriously.
How many of us can do a triathalon in our life time? This kind of event really put your body to the test.
?: I really don't know. But part of me is pissed, but what good can anger do?
I have seen so many incidents like this lately and each time I grieve with them. They include:
- A 38 year old Army Colonel in a very high profile position who died suddenly in a run.
- A 35 year old marcoms manager struck down by cancer. Till now, his boss is still grieving for him.
- A dashing former TV reporter barely past 30 who just died at work. He lived in my estate and I have worked with him when he was in CNA.
- A young female blogger who blogged about work stress and died on the job (you may have read about this)
- Too many children who died on the road. Including one of a friend.
- Even deaths by falling trees!
All these incidents have made me weep but they also make me realise that life is short and unpredictable. You never know when God will call. Perhaps I should tell myself to make my life count.
Walter: Despite me saying all this, I'm sometimes guilty of putting work before family -- taking for granted that there will always be a tomorrow. Sometimes life is so transient, you never know...
I guess things just happen, gotta make every moment in life count :)
eeep. reminds me of my friend who passed away 7 years ago after he did his NAFA test.
strange indeed, we played soccer every saturday and he was in the prime of health (or so it seemed).. and then *poof* he was gone.
hmmmmm.. death is indeed all around, and i guess we're not meant to live forever in this lifetime.
it's sad, and i guess it is a reality check to the state of our world in the way it's always been?
a sad story. could be an undetected heart condition such as cardiomyopathy. this can kill very fit people suddenly like footballer marc vivien-foe. i have it and am not supposed to do triathlons. i hope thaddeus died doing something he loved.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
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