MY ETERNAL GRATITUDE TO MY ROLE MODEL - TERESA HSU

Teresa with adopted son Sharana Rao

The first time I met Singapore’s supercentenarian, Teresa Hsu, was on Oct 20, 2008, a day after attending the MIM- RAMLEAN life enrichment programme. I had just spent four days from 16-19 Oct with 32 senior citizens ranging from 50 to 70 years of age. We were all looking to discover meaning and purpose in our sunset years, and here was a 110-year old woman who had already found her calling early in life.

Teresa had been invited by YPO (Malaysia Chapter) for a dialogue session on “Healthy at 110”. 110 and still actively involved in community work and traveling around to give motivational talks. How does she do it? I most certainly wanted to find out from her.

My daughter, Belle, with Teresa after the talk.

I was half expecting to see a frail, wrinkly old lady with fading eyesight and hearing loss. When I finally met her, I was completely bowled over by her clarity of vision, her infectious laughter, her natural wit and her mental agility. She could have easily passed for 40 years younger.

Teresa’s life story makes for fascinating reading. Born in 1898 in Guangdong, China, she has lived in three different centuries and seen more than she wanted of the horrors of war, hunger, poverty and disease.

(Image: Singapore Remembers)

From the age of four, Teresa learned to make herself useful with a broom. Her world was one of constant sweeping, cleaning and doing housework. She was deprived of an education in China where only males were allowed to attend school. But when her family moved to Penang in 1927, she managed to persuade the nuns at the convent where she was working as a cleaner to let her study with the children. Four years later, she passed her Senior Cambridge. With that under her belt, she left for Hongkong, and later Chongqing to work as a stenographer and bookkeeper with a German news agency.

In 1937, she quit her job and volunteered to help the injured soldiers during the Sino-Japanese War. When World War Two broke out, Teresa was once again witness to the suffering of the sick and wounded. Determined to learn nursing so that she could better help those in need of medical attention, she left for London in 1947. Despite being overaged at 47, her sincerity and dedication helped her gain acceptance into the Royal Free Hospital where she developed her nursing skills over the next eight years.

While in London, she joined the International Voluntary Service for Peace and travelled around Europe to help the needy and promote peace. Hearing about her willingness to serve in return for food and lodging, Bruderhof, a German charity group, invited Teresa to work with German Jewish refugees in hospitals and homes in Paraguay. She was to remain there for the next eight years.

Teresa and her volunteers dishing out food for the poor
and hungry. (Image: Singapore Remembers).

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In her mid-50s, Teresa returned to Malaysia to see her ailing mother. While there she also helped her brother start the Assunta Foundation in Ipoh. She later went on to establish three homes for the elderly and two homes for young girls and the neglected, all in Ipoh.

In 1961, Teresa went to live with her older sister, Ursula, in Singapore. Seeing how devoted Teresa was to helping the less fortunate, Ursula bought a piece of land with her savings from her work as principal of the Convent for the Holy Infant Jesus in Bukit Timah. There Teresa started Singapore’s first Home for the Aged Sick in 1965 at the age of 67.

(Image: Wikipedia)

In 1970, with the increase in the number of inmates and the lack of funds to keep the Home running, the sisters signed over the deeds of the Home to the Rotary Club which then took over the management of the Home. It was renamed Society for the Aged Sick. Teresa stayed on as matron till 1980 when she was asked to retire at age 83.

(Image: Wikipedia)

Not one to settle for passive retirement, Teresa started the Heart-to-Heart Service with her co-worker Sharana Yao from her sparsely-furnished house next to the Society for the Aged Sick. Today she remains actively involved in the weekly distribution of food and provisions to the elderly in need.

A keen practitioner of life-long learning, Teresa continues to expand her knowledge by reading and learning new skills. She has a collection of more than 2000 books all donated, and is currently reading the Bhagavad-Gita for the eighth time. It’s incredible that at her age she reads without the aid of glasses. At 69, she learned yoga and has incorporated it into her daily rituals. At 90, she embraced Buddhism. At 100, she picked up Mandarin and now speaks it fluently. She also speaks Malay, French, German, Spanish and four Chinese dialects. At present, Teresa is busy learning Sanskrit.

When asked about her longevity, Teresa attributes it to a spartan lifestyle, a vegetarian diet, healthy habits, and a positive outlook on life.

Some quotable quotes from Teresa:

"I never harbor negative thoughts as this will distract my focus in getting on with life and work."

“There are no naughty children – only naughty parents.”

“When you greet people with a smile, people will feel happy and smile back. If you pull a long face, people will not feel happy and pull a long face back at you.”

“Crying wastes tissue paper, and cuts down trees. It’s better to laugh.”

“If you see someone fall, you do not ask him why he did not see the stone. You help him up and ask him to be more careful next time.”

“If I’m married, I make only one man happy. If I’m not married, I make many people happy.”

“The answers are not from me. They are just out there.”

“The world is my home, all living beings are my brothers and sisters, selfless service is my religion.”

“I prefer to laugh than to weep. Those people who cry to me, I say is your body full of water? I always tell them it is better to laugh than to use tissue paper, as laughing is free but tissue paper costs five cents. 'Ha ha ha' costs no cents.”

“If I stay at home, I just ha-ha to myself. If I go out and ha-ha with 20 people, I make 20 people happy.”

“I don’t give. Giving means I have and you don’t have. I share – I share all I have, except ice cream and durians!”

“The whole world is one big family. All human beings are related to me. We may not have the same surname, but we share the same universal surname – human beings. And that’s good enough for me.”

“What do I think about death? I don’t know. I haven’t been there yet. Have you?”

"No one has ever explained religion or spirituality satisfactorily to me. My religion is my conscience, and my conscience guides me."

“If you think old, you are old. If you think young, you are young. Even when you are 100+, you can still do a lot.”

“Why am I a vegetarian? Do you want to cause pain for your pleasure? Ask yourself that, and you won’t dare to put a knife to their (animals and fish) throat.”

Over the years, Teresa has received numerous accolades in recognition of her humanitarian work. But she remains humble, preferring to shift focus from herself to her work at Heart-to-Heart Service.

Teresa was delighted with the pen Belle gave her.

My daughter, Belle, and I recently spent one whole morning with Teresa and Sharana in Singapore. Teresa graciously welcomed us into her home and even sang a jolly German song and a traditional Cantonese nursery rhyme to entertain us! Teresa enjoys laughing and we had plenty of it that morning.

She was delighted when Belle gave her a pen from an Anthony Robbins seminar she had attended. Teresa amazed us when she proudly read aloud the small inscription "Living is Giving". No need for eye glasses. "I like that," she said simply of both the pen and the inscription.

Later, we joined Teresa and Sharana on their weekly visit to distribute provisions to some elderly ladies in Chinatown. It was a truly enriching and inspiring experience for us to be in Teresa's company and listen to her words of humour and wisdom.

Teresa distributing essential items to the elderly in Chinatown. (Pic: Lily)

Teresa is proof that it really doesn’t take much to live a long, happy, healthy and fulfilling life. As for Teresa herself, she says, “I hope to live till 250! In this world, there are still many poor people who need help from others. I can't leave too soon!"

Teresa loves to read. Here she's browsing
Eckhart Tolle's "The Power of Now". (Pic: Belle)

May you enjoy double happiness and double longevity, Sister Teresa!

POSTSCRIPT: The above article has been updated and revised from the original written in December 2008. My daughter Belle and I developed a friendship with Teresa till she passed on in December 2011. Our three years with her were fulfilling ones for all of us. Belle helped to make her wish come true - she had wanted to visit her nursing school in the UK one more time. Belle was able to secure a business class return air ticket from Singapore Airlines for Teresa. She accompanied Teresa and Sharana for the entire visit.

Like a little girl flying her first kite. A picture of pure joy!

The above photo taken by Belle remains one of my all-time faviurite photo of Teresa. She was eager to try new experiences like flying this beautiful kite. Belle also invited her to watch the night Grand Prix from the hotel where we were staying. On another occasion we introduced her to Anthony Robbins and his wife Sage. They were in Singapore for their 'Unleash the Power Within' event.

Anthony Robbins was honoured to meet Teresa.
(Pic: Belle)

Camera shy. Visiting Teresa at her home.

I have been asked countless times in interviews and by friends what made me start SeniorsAloud, who my role model is, and what drives my purpose in life. This is my reply below.

I started SeniorsAloud blog in May 2008. Blogging was popular then. Facebook was in its early years. It was tough going and a challenge for me to carry on as I was also recovering from a major operation in June. I was ready to give up my plan of starting a seniors community. It was destiny that a few months later in October, I met Teresa. She became my inspiration, and has remained my role model to this day.

On looking back over the years, I owe Teresa my inner strength, my passion in serving the elderly, and my continuing journey in active living and lifelong learning.

THE FIGHT FOR DIGNITY IN LATER LIFE

The United Nations Human Rights Day falls on December 10 every year. The Bar Council has been organising the Human Rights Festival since the first one in 2022. This year, the event was extra significant as Chief Justice Datuk Seri Utama Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was there to launch the MyBar Pro Bono Hub. The initiative offers a range of services, including support to help seniors access their legal rights.

These rights (or principles) cover the right to independence, participation, care, self-fulfillment and dignity.

Let me comment on each of these five rights. My views come from my personal interaction with the homeless elderly during the months filming on location in the inner-city areas, and from my conversations with members of my senior community.

The right to independence

Older persons should have the right to decide for themselves, where they want to live in their old age, what to eat, how to dress, who to go out with, how to spend their time and money, and which aged care home to move to.

This also extends to their will and legacy, who and what to bequeath to; their relationships, whether they should get married again or just co-habitate with someone they like. In short, any decision that concerns them. Their adult children and well-meaning friends may offer advice, but the final decision rests with them.

Independence also covers end-of-life decisions including how they want to depart i.e. burial or cremation, what religious rites or none at all, indeed, all decision right down to the choice of obituary photo. It is their life and they should have a major say in it, as long as they are still capable of making decisions on their own.

The right to participation

Senior citizens looking for a job should not be discriminated against based solely on age. If they meet all the job specifications, they should be given a fair opportunity to be considered for the job. The same applies to participation in learning. Registration for workshops, courses and training should be open to all, including older persons.

If the learners are all older persons, the instructor should be familiar with geragogy – the principles of teaching older learners with age-related limitations, for example, hearing loss and vision impairment.

Participation also extends to retirees who may want to volunteer their service to NGOs or help out at community events and projects. They want to be useful, to do their bit for society. Give them the opportunity to do so. They should also be allowed to start an association, an enterprise or a movement if they have the required capabilities and skills.

Government resources like scholarships for further studies and upskilling opportunities should be made available to retired persons too.

Our booth at the 3rd Human Rights Festival. You can view our documentary 'Meniti Senja' on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVruZrBSr7Y&t=53s

The right to care

Every human being, from cradle to grave, deserves care. It should come not only from the family, but also from the community, society and government. Care goes beyond healthcare.

It extends to protection, safety and support, shelter and food. When a family no longer cares for its elderly members, that’s when the latter ends up in welfare homes or on the streets.

Take a walk in the downtown city areas, you are bound to come across heart-breaking scenes of elderly men and women rummaging through garbage bins looking for plastic bottles or aluminum cans, or collecting discarded cardboard boxes to sell for a pittance.

These seniors should be enjoying their golden years pursuing their passions and playing with their grandchildren, not eking out a living.

It is hard to understand how anyone could be all alone in the world, with no family members or friends to turn to in times of need.

No one wants to be in a situation like this. No one deserves to be in a situation like this.

It can happen to anyone. Even the wealthy can end up poor and homeless if an unexpected calamity befalls them.

Having good relationships with family and friends reduces the risk of abandonment and social isolation in old age.

The right to self-fulfillment

Think only the young have dreams? Older persons have them too. Retirees now have the time and financial means to make their dreams come true. Some go back to school to earn a degree, some sign up for courses to turn their passion into income, some look for opportunities to improve their singing, dancing or music talent. One senior I know took up a course in Cantonese opera performance. The sky is not even the limit for unfulfilled dreams. Another found his calling in doing commercials.

Love to travel? Go for it. If you have always wanted to travel to Antarctica, go join Yusuf Hashim’s tour group. He’s 79 and has been there several times.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you are too old to do something or that you lack the ability to do it. You know yourself best. As oft repeated, If not now, then when? At our age, opportunities don’t come knocking often, not even twice.

The right to dignity

No one should victimise, ridicule or disrespect anyone on the basis of age. Older persons should not be the brunt of ageist jokes or be made to feel worthless just because they may not be well educated or earning an income. In the same breath, seniors must also be deserving of respect in their actions, speech and attitude towards others.

Respect is earned through our behaviour, how we treat others and how we react to situations. We can do better – treat others with respect even when they may not respect us. Life is not a tit-for-tat. Revenge and other toxic emotions should never have a place in our heart. They can poison our health, both physical and mental.

To me, the top three evils that older persons should be protected against are the 3As: Ageism, Abuse, Abandonment. It takes a whole-of-society and a whole-nation approach to stamp out such violations of human rights. In our youth, we helped build the country. When we are no longer in our prime, we should not be marginalised, ignored, forgotten, and worse of all victimised.

We can’t force others to uphold these human rights, but we can start with ourselves. Let’s begin the new year with the commitment to respect others and be a better human being, to care for others, to forgive and forget and to move on, to live life as best as we can, to take care of ourselves and those who can no longer care for themselves. If you can’t do it alone, join a community group or start our own. It’s never too late, and we are never too old to do good.

Lily Fu is a gerontologist who advocates for seniors. She is the founder of SeniorsAloud, an online platform for seniors to connect and enjoy social activities for ageing well. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.

(The above article was first published in The Star on Wed 17 Dec 2025. It can be accessed under the title 'A Matter of Rights' at https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/family/2025/12/17/the-fight-for-dignity-in-later-life)