Lucille Wong's family holiday in the Philippines was marred by constant worry—until a genuine emergency taught her she can cope. Her four-year-old son's insect bite triggered fears of dengue, but the real crisis came when her seven-year-old daughter fell from bed, gashing her forehead, requiring stitches at three hospitals.
A holiday overshadowed by anticipatory fear
Wong describes worry as a 'pesky, uninvited visitor' throughout the trip to Cebu Island. She fretted over stray dogs, ice cubes, street food, traffic, and earthquakes—the Philippines sits on active faultlines. While she remained on high alert, her partner and children appeared relaxed and carefree. She envied their ability to switch off.
The real emergency: a fall in the night
In the middle of the night, Wong heard a thump followed by screams. Her daughter had fallen out of bed, leaving a deep gash across her forehead. Wong and her partner moved instantly into action. They called the front desk, and resort staff arranged a car. Wong packed a bag with passport, money, and power banks, and woke her sleeping son.
They visited three hospitals. At the first, the only doctor was in emergency surgery for at least two hours. At the second, staff cleaned the wound but lacked wound glue. At the third—a large teaching hospital—a calm doctor ruled out glue and performed four stitches. Wong's partner held their daughter while Wong sat outside rocking their younger son, counting quietly as the anaesthetic needle went in.
Lessons learned: focusing on the present
Reflecting on the experience, Wong says: 'Looking back, I realise how much I parent with anticipatory fear … It only heightens emotions which can make parenting even more exhausting.' The emergency taught her to focus on the immediate next step rather than worrying about future outcomes. 'Somewhere between the third hospital and sunrise, I wasn’t worried about scars or infections or anything else. I was only thinking about breakfast.'
Two months later, her daughter's wound has healed beautifully. She rarely mentions the incident, recalling instead snorkelling with turtles and getting her hair braided. Wong plans to travel again, still packing medicines and repellent, but carrying more confidence that when things go wrong, she can cope.
