Widower struggles to care for his two young sons, Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
Singapore

Widower struggles to care for his two young sons

This article is more than 12 months old

It took Mr Ronald Low, 48, close to a decade to have the family he had planned and longed for.

The project manager married Ms Huang Luyang in 2007, but the couple put off having children as Mr Low wanted to make sure their marriage was stable first.

They had their first son, Ronzo, in 2013 and their second son, Renzo, was born three years later.

But last November, his wife died after she was hit by a bus.

An SBS Transit bus ploughed into Ms Huang, 38, as she was crossing a pedestrian crossing in Sengkang on her way to work at a supermarket.

The past 11 months have been among the toughest periods of his life, said Mr Low.

The biggest problem has been bringing up his two young sons on his own, he said.

"As children, they look for their mum more than their dad," he said.

He said he has had to learn, almost overnight, how to communicate with and care for his children.

Mr Low also struggled to take on all the parenting duties, ranging from taking them to their enrichment classes, to making sure that they eat right.

He also worries that finances might be tight in the future on one income, as his salary does not qualify them for much aid.

He earns more than $5,000 a month at an air-conditioning company.

He counts himself lucky to have the support of his friends and some extended family members, who have been by his side since his wife's death.

Friends have helped take his children for outings and keep them occupied during the school holidays.

Some also asked him out to play sports, to help lift his spirits.

An aunt comes by to help babysit the children when his helper is not free.

There are times when Mr Low finds his predicament familiar.

His parents left him when he was just two - his mother walked out and his father re-married and left too.

Mr Low was brought up by his grandmother.

He has no siblings.

"I have been through all of this, I know what it feels like to be a kid without a mother," he said.

"I tried so hard to have a proper family... to make sure that my children wouldn't face a similar problem," said Mr Low.

"In the end, humans still can't beat fate. But I can't give up now."

COMMUNITY ISSUES