A doctor with a heart for pastors and missionaries

I have sometimes wondered what had happened to that wonderful gynaecologist who delivered all my children. Dr Lawrence Chan, a Christian elder in a Brethren church, was very gracious towards missionaries and pastors. He delivered their babies free of charge. If the wife was working, they would still get a very special rate for his services. I am sure he delivered many pastors’ and missionaries’ children.

Pleasant surprise at a wedding dinner

So it was a pleasant surprise when we met him at the wedding of my nephew. Professor Lawrence Chan also delivered all the children of the bride’s and the groom’s parents. His name was mentioned from the podium and my wife and I decided we must meet him. This was a wonderful surprise meeting. Dr Lawrence Chan has reached a ripe old age. He looked healthy and he had more hair than me! We introduced ourselves and our son Joshua Chee to him, and chatted for a while.

A traumatic and dramatic delivery

My son Joshua who is the surviving twin in a traumatic and dramatic birth was keen to meet him too. For several weeks, my wife Jenny, and the twins, Joshua and the late Caleb, were all in Intensive Care Units, fending for their lives, as doctors and specialists tried to save them. By the grace of God, at the end of much prayer and suffering, Caleb was taken home to God through respiratory problems and I had to bury him without my wife’s knowledge as it may affect her adversely if she knew. Joshua was discharged but due to the fact that he was born blue without oxygen for many minutes as the incubator equipment was rushed from one ward to the room where my wife was warded for Hepatitis non-A, non-B. You see, the births were sudden and unexpected, and at that time (mid 1980’s), Singapore General Hospital did not have maternity wards.

Joshua will be gong-gong

When Joshua was discharged the doctors warned that since Joshua’s brain had been deprived of oxygen for too long, he would be intellectually disabled. One of the specialist even said that Joshua will be “gong-gong”. Every time we met with the head of paediatrics for Joshua’s medical appointments we were being prepared for the worse. “He will need to go to a special school when he grows up…..etc.” But God had other plans. We prayed for him constantly, laying our hands on him, praying in tongues over him, and commanding the brain cells to be activated with his life and resurrection power (we were desperate and tried everything we knew!). Well, the Lord has answered prayer and Joshua has since graduated from NUS with a second upper honours and is now working in the civil service and active in the church. Praise God.

God’s ways are higher: trust Him

As to the twin that went home to God, the peace of God and faith in His infinite love has helped us to reconcile with what has happened and we believe that God works all things for good and for His glory. Sometimes we do not fully comprehend His ways. However we can go on trusting in Him even when we don’t fully understand the things happening around us that seem to contradict His loving character.

Meeting Prof Lawrence has reminded us of God’s many blessings and the channels God used. To Prof Lawrence Chan we wish God’s blessings of health and satisfaction in the afterglow of a life of faithfulness, integrity and generosity. May his tribe increase!