I was 34 years old when I got pregnant with my third child. Based on my age, I had less than 1% chance of having one with Down Syndrome (DS).  K, my third child, was medically confirmed to have Trisomy 21, or commonly known as Down Syndrome, after birth.

Life after the confirmatory genetic test was heart-breaking, not just for my hubby and I, but to the entire extended family. Many asked if we knew she has DS in utero, and stated all the possible pre-natal testing for DS that we were supposed to take, to see if we missed out any. Some tried to comfort by saying “never mind, since we already gave birth to her, we just have to make the best out of this”. I remember reading more about DS and secretly wished that I hadn’t make that decision Click to read more >>

Got this when I came back late last night. L stayed up to give me this surprise which was initiated by Ch and prepared by both of them. There are two bouquets- one for hubby and one for me :)

Some of you might have seen a tv ad done by Ronald McDonald House@NUH recently and spotted someone familiar *wink* 

For those who have no idea what I'm referring to, here is the ad:





Many friends asked how I got approached to participate in the ad. My reply? Cos the people found me pretty, friendly, and talks a lot, so they approached me lor. 

Actually, it started when K was hospitalised in April this year. Doctors advised hubby and I to be around in the hospital and be mentally prepared for the worst as K's health went downhill with a severe bout of pneumonia. The 5 long weeks of hospital stay at the paediatric ICU at NUH would have been more energy-draining and stressful but by God's grace, we were *allocated a room at the newly opened Ronald McDonald House just a corridor away from the paediatric ICU. This was excellent news to us, as it meant that we were able to stay close to K and still be able to rest well. Sleeping on a chair in the ward is definitely not a very comfortable option for most of us. 

When we first stepped into the House for a quick tour of the place, we were
greeted by a friendly, warm lady who patiently brought us around. The House is well-furnished with a kitchen, laundry area for washing clothes, and it even has a small and cosy reading area. 

Photo by RMH@NUH

There are four bedrooms, and each room is also equipped with proper bathroom facilities, a television and a comfortable bed. I remember after the tour, hubby nervously asked, "Er... how much for this room?". The lady chuckled and replied with a big smile "It's free!". 

Photo by RMH@NUH

So, we stayed in this "hotel room" (as what my older two named it) for 5 weeks. Hubby and I alternated our stay where one of us would be at home with the older ones, and the other would be in the hospital with K. 

What impresses me most is that the House functions more than just a house. It  provided the house guests with the nolmacy of home while we worry and attend to our sick child. Other than the facilities the House offers for our physical comfort, there is always a variety of beverages, soft drinks, and fruit bars we can help ourselves to when we need an extra boost of energy. Occasionally, a kind soul would bake some cookies and leave them on the dining table for the house guests. I also had a chance to eat together with the other house guests and RMH staff. This is part of the House's Family Meal program to allow house guests to enjoy a proper meal and interact with one another as we usually only have a chance to say hi and bye with everyone so busy with their sick ones. 




The caring staff and volunteers also made the place a welcoming home for us during our stay. Each time I returned to the House, someone (a RMHC staff or volunteer) was always there to greet me with a smile and ask about my day. Ch and L were allowed to be in the House during the weekends (under an adult's supervision) and they loved the attention and gifts given by the volunteers.




Through the stay, my family built a bond with RMH@NUH. Every time I pass by the House, I would still ring the doorbell and say hi to the staff I recognise. The experience also allowed me to share with Ch and L about volunteering. I hope they can remember the love the House has given to us, and hopefully one day, they will want to volunteer their time there. 


*The RMH@NUH does have a selection criteria based on the severity of the child's sickness. You may want to check with the NUH doctors or RMH staff to know more.


By the way, other than managing the RMH@NUH, Ronald McDonald House Charities Singapore (RMHC Singapore) is also involved in other charitable programs. RMHC gets its donations from sponsors like McDonald's and the general public AND you can do your part to donate to this good cause through the RMHC donation boxes found at all McDonald's restaurants. You can also buy a McDonald's Happy Meal and five cents from each meal sold goes to the charity (well, I don't really approve of fast food meals for children, but indulging in it once a while does make a child very happy.). You may wonder, why five cents only? Think of the number of Happy Meals each participating McDonald's outlet sells each day, multiply by the number of days in a month, then by the number of outlets in Singapore... it should reach quite a big sum, isn't it?






Share this post to help raise awareness for this meaningful charity organisation. 

According to the National Dental Centre Singapore, a child should have his first dental check-up when he is between 6 to 12 months of age. This allows the dentist to prevent and anticipate problems rather than treat them. I have been wanting to bring L for his dental check-up since he was 2 years old. Blame it on my procrastination and plain laziness, hence delaying this important visit. Now that he is 5 years old, he whines about going to the dentist. He thinks the dentist is one scary person who will pull out his teeth as he has not been making effort to take good care of them. 

So, what better way to let him overcome his fear of a dental check-up than to let him role-play as one himself! Thanks to the Paediatric Dentistry Unit of the National Dental Centre Singapore, L participated in their first Be-A-Dentist Day event which took place recently. 






At the first station, the children practised bending pipe cleaners into a star-shaped wand. One of the volunteers explained that this activity simulates the principles of bending orthodontic wires for braces. 



The group of children were then brought to a "supermarket" where they learnt to choose the right type of food for good oral health. L was one of the last few to complete his shopping as he mulled over the items displayed so carefully! In the end, he picked a pack of carrots, a bun, a pack of instant noodles, chocolate milk and a bottle of orange juice. Mommy expected it, as these are some of his favorite foods. After learning which food items are good for their teeth and which are not, the children were tasked to select 5 other items for the family. This was what he got! Healthy healthy!! (*ehem* except for the packet of instant noodles)



The third station was one of my personal favorites. The children were given a bad tooth model and some tools to dig out the "decayed material". It was amusing to see the children go "eww" and "yucks" when the dentist demonstrated the steps to do a proper cleaning of the affected area and how to do a tooth filling. Look at L's serious look when he did that! 






I took the opportunity to re-emphasize the importance of keeping L's teeth in healthy conditions - that he needs to brush his teeth properly and rinse his mouth after a meal. He was thoughtful while listening, perhaps recalling the "disgusting decayed material" he saw on the tooth model.



Dress-up time was next! The children donned cute little surgical gowns and shower caps. Aren't they all adorable?







Hubby and I are very particular about hand hygiene as we do not want the older ones to pass their germs to their sister. L cooperates with us very well on this, and sanitizes his hands frequently especially when he is sick. Hence when the dentists explained about bacteria and put on the uv light to prove the existence of bacteria on their hands, L understood it straightaway. He followed the instructions of holding his hands up after sanitizing them with alcohol until a dentist was able to help him put on the disposable gloves. Even when he was monkeying around, he remembered to put his hands together and not touch everywhere!



The last station was the one everyone waited eagerly for! L and his new found friend were paired to room 5 where they had the chance to give a "dental check-up" to their mommies! The two children doubled up as each other's dental assistant too. The paediatric dentist on duty was able to build rapport with the two boys very quickly and taught them how to handle the dentist chair, and how to check Mommy's teeth using the dental mirror. 

Image by Motherof.Xander

Move up! Move down! This is so fun!  Image by Motherof.Xander

Mommy, your teeth is not clean! Image by Motherof.Xander

Dental check complete!  Image by Motherof.Xander

L and new-found friend, X  Image by Motherof.Xander

The whole experience was well organised by the Paediatric Dentistry Unit. The staff was attentive to the children's needs, and was able to build rapport as well as engage them throughout the activities. I asked L to name his favourite station as required in the feedback form, he gave a beaming smile and exclaimed "all the stations!" This goes to show that this event definitely deserves a re-run next year! 

A happy ending to share - L overcame his fear of visiting the dentist. He was able to share his experience about the dentist chair with his dentist and remained calm throughout the scaling and polishing of his teeth.