A Touching Twist in a Hospital Room
In a scene that feels straight out of a romantic movie, Mr. Pang Ming Kwong, a 58‑year‑old entrepreneur battling terminal lung cancer, popped the question to his fiancée, Ms. Koh Soh Kuan on Sunday, 15 December. The proposal took place in the Endoscopy Centre at Mount Elizabeth Hospital, with 50 close family members and friends gathered to witness the moment.
How It All Started
Since his admission on 9 November, Pang has been fighting the harsh side effects of chemo—worst of all the oxygen bags that seemed to have more drama than a soap opera. Yet, he kept chatting with the ward nurses about a plan: “I want to propose,” he told the nurses, while the hospital still smelled like antiseptic and hope.
Ms. Koh, an executive at a reinsurance firm, never suspected that her rescuing‑hero would actually be looking for a wedding ring all along. She’d only been asked to keep 17 November free for a cancer support group—no grand proposals involved—when Pang’s knack for surprising her came to light.
The Big Moment
He slipped into a father‑in‑law vibe by asking her, “What date is it? How many more days till the 15th?” while she nervously struggled with the endoscopy centre’s “fun-cut” décor—think pamphlets, balloons, maybe a tiny confetti cannon.
While everyone was quietly posing; the doctors had already set the atmosphere with a pastor’s blessing—thanks, fellas, you made my heart do a happy dance. There were rings, a pastor, and a surprisingly mild hospital vibe—a mixture of civic ceremony and the occasional cough.
The Love Story Behind the Numbers
After > eight years together, the couple first crossed paths at a tea‑appreciation gathering—yes, tea can be a doorway to forever.
They’ve been hogging every weekend, exchanging phone calls that feel like index cards, with Pang bragging that working nights and weekends is a part of the “poetic life” he mentions.
Even when the diagnosis revealed stage‑four lung cancer two years earlier, the duo kept nibbling on lunches. Their spirits were as resilient as an untested coffee mug— the +1 that “kisses for twenty minutes before everyone moves away” is a tale of their devotion in the odds.
On What it Means
“He’s earlier, he’s waiting for a proper chance. He’s willing to stand together, even while being dull, he was kind enough to let my mom bring bread. So I have no idea.”
The Hospital’s Role
Most notably, Ward staff, feeling the ‘surprise’ vibe, worked behind the scenes, setting up the endoscopy centre; the weekend had reached some form of a unveil of motives.
Ms. Koh told that people response to the surprise because “Men always claim: each breath is one next sip.” The flood-turn affects them on the side; especially thanks for that excuse, to his ‘helpful
Photo: Mount Elizabeth Hospital
The nurses from Mr Pang’s ward sang songs for the couple and presented them with flowers and balloons.
Some of them also helped Ms Koh with her make-up, while the hospital’s chef prepared a cake for the couple.
Senior nurse manager Yong Wee Joan said: “Mr Pang is a kind and grateful person, and all our nurses love him so much.
“We were so excited when we first learned that Mr Pang wanted to hold an engagement in our hospital, and the Ward Eight team wanted to make this event special for him.”
Added senior nurse Melane Glenda Maranon: “It is a great privilege to fulfil a patient’s wish and make him feel really loved by healthcare providers.”
While Ms Koh does not know how much more time her fiance has, her priority is to spend time with him.
“It’s all I can do, to spend time with him and make it feel that it’s not that bad,” she said.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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