Father Argues Youth Does Not Protect Against Serious Illness

In a published Channel NewsAsia commentary, a father reflects on his daughter Qi Le undergoing surgery and making a recovery, detailing the challenges and lingering uncertainties they faced.

Qi Le Recovers After Surgery and Monitoring

Qi Le came out of surgery that evening and made a remarkably quick recovery, spending a week in the hospital and two more weeks recovering at home before returning to school soon after. However, the family still had to cope with uncertainty for quite some time. For the first three months following surgery, she was placed on blood thinners to prevent clotting, requiring close monitoring for any bruising or unusual bleeding. She had to ease back into physical activities by starting with breathing exercises and light physiotherapy prior to engaging in anything more strenuous. Even now, her family continues to keep a close watch on her heart rate and blood pressure.

Despite the traumatic experience, Qi Le wanted life to feel ordinary again very quickly, returning to school within weeks of discharge to hang out with friends and plan for her future. Her father notes that her ability to bounce back serves as a source of optimism amid the lingering uncertainty that still weighs on his mind, noting that there was a time when they did not know what the next day would bring.

Perspective on Youth and Health

The ordeal reinforced the father’s longstanding belief that illness does not discriminate by age or how fit a person looks, stating that it can happen to anyone. The experience changed Qi Le herself; whereas she previously did not have much reason to think about her health like many young people, she now understands that health is hers to look after rather than something she considers only when reminded by her father.

Offering advice to another parent facing a similar situation, the father emphasizes that emotional fluctuations are normal, and stresses the importance of understanding the situation clearly enough to act and letting people help. He highlights the support received from doctors, nurses, the surgical team, a financial consultant, and close friends and seniors who offered assistance and helped verify findings during his research into endocarditis.