In loving memory of Elaine Chow our friend and colleague who in the early hours of the 27 October 2005 committed suicide by stepping off a building. Gone, but never ever forgotten!
Elaine was a wonderful, vibrant young woman, who brought joy to everyone she met. Her smile could and would brighten both the sunniest and dreariest of days.
When I asked if she’d like to turn her internship into a job she replied, amidst a beaming smile and joyful disbelief “You mean, you want to pay me to eat…” The memory of her beaming smiling face of disbelief as replied still brings a big smile to my face and a warm glow to my heart.
As I write this with tears running down my cheeks, my heart breaks as my mind replays the screams erupting from my phone, looking up and seeing Elaine falling – so fast, yet in slow motion – to her death. My brain cannot process the truth of what it sees and my legs will never be moving fast enough to reach her… The pain of those images never seems to fade, but nor thankfully do the memories of her smile and the joy she infused to all around her. RIP Elaine you are deeply missed.
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Tragically almost 3 people a day, on average, commit suicide in Hong Kong. It’s the unseen killer across all ages,
Earlier this year many people rightly heaped praise on constable Ifzal Zaffar who talked someone down from a crane. But few wondered what happen to the person he saved. Did they receive the help they needed to resolve the problems that put them on the crane?
If you know someone who’s talking (even jokingly) about suicide talk to them. If you’re thinking of suicide, talk to someone first.
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk