Singaporean Man Shares How His Wife Spent 33 Hours In Labour To Deliver Stillborn

By elaine.kiew on 17 Sep 2018

They knew something wasn't right when she was five months pregnant.

On Sept 16, Eugene Wee (Managing Director of a non-profit organisation) shared an emotional post on Facebook and revealed the reason why his wife went through 33 hours of labour just to deliver their stillborn baby.

Photo from Eugene Wee (Facebook)

This only happens 1 in 6000 pregnancies

For Eugene Wee and his wife Puu Kanokrat, their child were only 5 months old when he/she was found to be suffering from Trisomy 18- a rare chromosome condition that often came with severe disabilities, multiple physical deformation making him/her incompatible with life.

According to statistics, it was a case 1 in 6000 pregnancies and their child happened to be that one.

"If my child needs to die, then it should not have to be in vain"

The rare case caused a stir in the medical faculty in Chiang Mai University where Eugene's wife Puu was at and the professors there then requested for the opportunity to do a detailed scan, hoping to expose their medical students to the couple's rare condition.

Puu agreed and was put on the ultrasound shortly for 4 hours where she had to go through the turmoil of hearing the medical students discuss her child's brain, enlarged heart, missing arms, missing organs etc.

She was emotionally, physically and mentally exhausted but she remained firm in her decision to let her child's life be used for the greater good.

Going through over 30 hours of hard labour to deliver her stillborn baby

Eugene was inside the operating theatre with Puu for 33 hours watching her cringe through labour pain and getting more painkillers for her through an ordeal that almost seemed like it's never going to end.

Though Puu was in extreme pain and could have easily opted for medical intervention to remove her fetus, she refused. She wanted to deliver the fetus as intact as possible so that it could be retained for medical research.

After 33 hours, the child was finally delivered in silence and rushed off to the medical facility for preservation.

Read the full post here:

During the Singapore summit, a young delegate asked me "Eugene, do you think your wife is pretty?" My answer was no.

She was taken aback.

Well, if you asked my wife if she thought Eugene was handsome" Her answer will also be no.

You see, we didn't fall in love because of each other looks. At our age, we know that physical looks, like all material things, will fade. And what remains is our faith, our conviction and our love for lives.

For my closer friends, you would have read that we lost our 5 month old child, just 3 weeks ago.

The child had Trisomy 18 - a rare chromosome condition that often came with severe mental disabilities, multiple physical deformation and in most cases it was incompatible with life.

Our child was all 3.
It was a case in 6000 pregnancies.

It caused a stir in the medical faculty and the professors requested for the opportunity to do a detailed scan, all while exposing medical students to this rare condition as much as possible.

For 4 hours, my wife chose to stay on the ultrasound so every medical student could gleen as much knowlege as they could from the fetus.

It was painful for her. Hearing them discuss about her own child's brain, the enlarged heart, the missing arms, the face, the lack of organs etc.

But there she lay exhausted emotionally, physically and mentally, just so future medical doctors could learn.

After the session, the medical faculty requested for the full fetus to be retained for future research and studies.

We knew what it meant.

It was a request for her to suffer and go through hours of painful labour - just as any mother would go through in delivery - but for her only to deliver a stillborn child.

She had endured through the emotional pain, but yet this meant that she will have to go through even more - a whole lot more of immense physical pain - just so the child's body will be intact for medical research.

We spoke though it, and she calmly replied "if my child needs to die, then it should not have to be in vain."

She has made up her mind - she will go through the pain of labour so the child's body can be fully intact for research.

For 30 over hours, I sat there journeying with her, seeing her cringe through labour pain, asking for more painkillers to help her through the hours that never seemed to end.

At many points thru labour, she was in extreme pain. I told her that she could just give up on the idea of donating the full fetus and opt for a medical intervention to remove the fetus surgically. This way we will lose the fetus but it will save her a whole lot of pain.

She refused. Again and again.

Choosing to go through pain, just to ensure the fetus is as intact as possible. After 33 hours, the child was delivered in silence and the fetus was rushed off to the medical facility for preservation.

Dear medical students of Chiangmai University, if you are reading this, this will be the story behind the fetus with trisomy 18.

A story of faith, love and sacrifice, to journey with you, in hopes that you will better mankind.

To my wife, my hero, my better half:

Your faith, your conviction, your values, your sacrifice has inspired me to embark on this journey to make a difference.

Happy birthday! I'm flying back to be with you soon!

Photo from Eugene Wee (Facebook)

Eugene Wee and his wife Puu Kanokrat tied the knot last November and went through a cross-cultural wedding.

Photo from Eugene Wee (Facebook)

They didn't fall in love because of each other's looks. At their age, Eugene and Puu knew that "physical looks, like all material things, will fade. And what remains is our faith, our conviction and our love for lives."

Both Eugene and Puu are working for Radion, a non-profit organisation here to raise funds and awareness to support the underprivileged in Southeast Asia.

Though it's been a painful journey, it's undeniable that their story of faith, love and sacrifice is inspiring!

Would you go through 33 hours of hard labour to deliver a stillborn baby?