A Cruel Awakening - How Dengue Changed Our Lives Forever

The Bite that Stung the Family*

I remember that dreadful morning vividly. Mom, then 65, looked incredibly pale and sickly. She usually led such an active life, so seeing her like that broke my heart. She’d had terrible chills all night, still feeling cold even with three blankets. She was also terribly nauseated and couldn’t stand the smell of food.

I rushed her to the nearest clinic for a blood test. The results showed a low red blood count, but no significant infection. So, Mom decided to rest at home and monitor her symptoms.
By nightfall, her condition had worsened considerably. She was incredibly weak and couldn’t swallow anything, not even sips of water. Fearing dehydration, I took her to the nearest general hospital. The doctor immediately suspected dengue due to her symptoms and the local outbreak. Another blood test confirmed it: Mom’s platelet count had plummeted to 80. However, the hospital couldn’t admit her because her condition wasn’t yet “critical,” and they were already overflowing with severe dengue cases.

Devastated, we went home, monitoring her as advised. Seeing her misery, my siblings and I decided to admit her to a private hospital. She didn’t have medical insurance, but her health was our priority, so we decided to fork out our savings.

Dealing with dengue for the first time, we were unsure what to expect. Mom kept getting weaker, relying on an IV drip for fluids, unable to eat or drink. She was constantly nauseous and sleepy. When her platelet count dropped below 40, the doctor said she needed medication to prevent internal bleeding. My older brother, living overseas, immediately flew home to help. For the next four days, my two brothers and I took turns staying with Mom. My husband also had to take time off work to care for our two kids, as Mom usually looked after them.

Having the whole family together seemed to lift Mom’s spirits. She tried her best to eat, and we saw improvements daily. By day five, her platelet count returned to normal, and she was discharged.

Dengue’s Silent Drain

Mom didn’t regain her strength instantly. The grogginess and lethargy lasted for days. My siblings and I had to extend our leaves as we still had to continue monitoring mom’s diet and fluid intake closely as well as making sure she was well-rested before returning to her daily routine.

Truth be told, this harrowing experience not only took a toll on our emotions, but also significantly disrupted our family life, work, and of course, our finances. Mom’s hospitalisation cost ended up in the thousands, a budget we hadn’t planned for but managed to pull together at the very last minute. To say it was a stressful week would be an understatement.  

The Awakening

Always remember to spot check your garden for stagnant water, especially during the rainy season.

Given that our neighbourhood was still a dengue hotspot, the fear of re-infection, or any other family member contracting the disease, made us incredibly restless. As soon as we brought mom back home, we spring cleaned the house and made sure there was no stagnant water around our garden, in the kitchen, bathrooms, etc. to stop mosquitoes from breeding.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that preventing a dengue outbreak can’t be done alone, it takes a community effort. Just a little bit of neglect such as leaving stagnant water in plant pots can put the whole community at risk of a dengue outbreak. During the outbreak in my neighbourhood, my Residents Association (RA) was efficient in updating everyone on the latest dengue cases and hotspots.

The episode with my mom prompted us to become more active in the group, regularly spreading awareness about dengue prevention on our neighbourhood’s online group chat. Some of us (myself included) may have taken this for granted, but fighting dengue is not that complicated! We just need to take these easy steps:

• Maintain cleanliness in your surroundings and remove stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes from breeding
• Protect ourselves from bites by using insect repellent and sleeping under mosquito nets
• Consider getting vaccinated if your area is high-risk as this could reduce your risk of getting severe illness

Let your kids play safely outdoors. apply mosquito repellent and always make sure the playground is free from empty bottles, containers, etc.

Protect Your Loved Ones. Fight Dengue.

We almost lost our dear mother, the strongest and healthiest in our family. The sheer agony of watching her suffer was a pain I wouldn’t wish on anyone, especially knowing it was all caused by something as preventable as dengue.

Please, remember this: dengue doesn’t discriminate. No matter how fit or healthy you think you are, it only takes one bite to drain you of everything.

As mentioned earlier, fighting dengue should be a community effort. So, it’s very important that we educate ourselves, our family members and our community on disease prevention. For example, if you have young children, get them involved in gotong-royong sessions for practical lessons on keeping our surroundings clean and free of mosquito breeding grounds. Also, if you know of elderly neighbours who live alone, do check on them regularly and help them to clean up their homes and surroundings. Keeping in touch with our neighbours is a good way to know if anyone needs assistance or support. Remember, a little help goes a long way!

Speaking of community efforts, another thing I realised from this ordeal is how modern living has made us all more isolated and less cooperative. We’re more present online compared to being engaged with the real world, and we’re always so occupied with our daily routine that we don’t take the time to interact as much as we should with the people around us. Many of us don’t even know the names of our neighbours. When we’re not connected AND united, it’s harder to tackle common problems, like dengue.

Connect and Collaborate – United Against Dengue

Dengue is now on the rise globally, so it’s imperative that we, as a community, start being united and act now. Realising the importance of tackling the complex and growing challenge of dengue in Asia, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Asia Pacific (IFRC APAC) and Takeda, partnered to form the United Against Dengue collaboration. This collaboration is structured around three key areas: education, advocacy and support.

A themed comic by The Woke Salaryman, which highlights the importance of collaborative efforts between communities to prevent dengue’s spread, is the first public-facing content of the Education pillar. Find out how you can do your part here

Don’t wait. Fight dengue with every ounce of effort, before it tragically takes your loved ones from you.

United Against Dengue is a collaboration between the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Takeda. Learn more via https://www.ifrc.org/article/ifrc-and-takeda-initiate-united-against-dengue-alliance-combat-escalating-threat-mosquito.

Disclaimer:
* This story is based on the writer’s personal experience and is shared to raise awareness about the importance of dengue prevention. It is not intended as medical advice. For health-related concerns, please consult your healthcare provider. The views expressed here do not represent the opinions of any organization.”

Reference:

1. Dengue and severe dengue

Doc No: C-ANPROM/MY/QDE/0088/October 2025