TRIBUTE TO A LOYAL, TRUSTED FRIEND & COLLEAGUE: P. SARASWATHY

I am truly out of words. I starred blank at the computer screen and could not comprehend or digest the news that I had just received from Chitra Muniandy. Sara is gone.... My heart sank. My whole body shivers and shaken. I felt so weak. Sara has work faithfully with me for more than 13 years and had never taken a single Medical Leaves. She took care of me and my office akin of a mother to a child though she was only 50 years old.

Losing Sara to an unknown sickness was as painful as losing a relative to a cancer. Half of my life was spend battling cancer and that is one battle that I am very familiar with but to lose a friend battling sickness was beyond comprehension.

It was only a few weeks ago that Sara confided in me of her unbeknown sickness. She felt weak and could not even climb the stairs up to our office. Her ankle and various body parts were swollen and she could not breath. I told her to go home and rest. Focus in getting better and do not worry about the office but Sara is a workoholic. At home, she continued to manage the office ensuring all work was well coodinated and done.

She was later admitted at the Assunta Hospital where the Specialist insisted for her to remove both her womb and ovaries but luckily she obtained a second opinion from University Hospital whom adviced her against Assunta Hospital's advice. She was discharged from the University Hospital on thursday last week to spend the public holiday at home before undergoing MRI and other checks for diagnosis.

Over the weekend she was admitted at the Columbia Hospital again for some complication and passed away shortwhile ago.