In the early hours of the 27 October 2005 our friend and colleague Elaine Chow committed suicide by stepping off a building.
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 while tears run down my cheeks, and my heart breaks as my mind replays the scream 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, if you know someone who’s talking (even jokingly) about suicide get them help/talk to them. If you’re thinking of suicide, please please talk to someone first.