In the early hours of the 27 October 2005 our wonderful friend and colleague Elaine Chow committed suicide in-front of her friends by stepping off the side of a building.
Elaine was a wonderful, vibrant young woman, who brought joy to everyone she met. Her smile could, would and still does brighten both the sunniest and dreariest of days.
Thankfully we all have many memories of Elaine, when I asked her if she’d like to turn her internship at bc into a paid 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 she replied still brings a big smile to my face and a warm glow to my heart – even amidst the agony and pain of the anniversary of her suicide.
It’s been thirteen years since Elaine jumped… I still feel as if I’m running down Jaffe Road. My heart breaks every time my mind replays the screams erupting from my phone, looking up disbelievingly and seeing Elaine falling – so fast, yet in slow motion – towards me.
My brain cannot process the truth of what it sees and my legs will never be moving fast enough to reach and try to catch her… The pain of those images has not faded at all, but nor thankfully have the memories of her smile and the joy she infused to all around her.
RIP Elaine you are deeply deeply missed. You may be gone, but you are never forgotten! You are in our hearts every minute of every day.
Elaine Chow: 14 March, 1986 – 27 October, 2005
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According to government statistics Hong Kong’s suicide rate has fallen slightly over the last few years but still an average of 2.5 people a day commit suicide in Hong Kong.
The World Health Organisation thinks that attempted suicides are 20, yes twenty, times more frequent than completed suicides. That’s 50 people a day in Hong Kong who attempt to commit suicide!
If you’re thinking of suicide, talk to someone… There is no shame or loss of face in admitting that you need help.
Suicide Prevention Services 2382-0000 www.sps.org.hk
Samaritans Hong Kong: 2896-0000 www.samaritans.org.hk