News

Influencer Melissa Koh Announced Passing of Her 2YO Son Due to a Heart Condition

Rachel Goh

2023-04-08 , 10:25 am

Last Updated on 2023-04-12 , 10:17 am

Losing a loved one is always difficult.

Losing a child is straight-up heartbreaking.

Influencer Melissa Koh Announces Passing of Son

On 8 April 2023, influencer Melissa Celestine announced the passing of her son, Asher.

He was only one year and nine months old.

She announced the news by posting details of his wake on an Instagram story.

Heart Condition

In April 2021, Melissa announced she was pregnant with her second child.

Before Asher was born, Melissa had already created an Instagram account dedicated to him.

The account’s first post is a photo of Melissa hugging her husband, pregnancy test in hand.

She wrote, “Finding out that we were soon going to be a family of four! Our hearts were bursting with excitement.”

When the family finally welcomed him into the world on 17 June 2021, Melissa described it as a “bittersweet” moment.

In an Instagram post, she explained that she could only hold him in her arms briefly before he was taken away.

A nurse updated her that Asher’s oxygen levels were dropping.

It was advised for him to spend the night in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The next day, the hospital informed the family that Asher had a heart condition that required immediate surgery.

The family transferred Asher to Gleneagles Hospital for an overnight open-heart surgery.

She wrote, “We were heartbroken to see our two-day-old baby with so many tubes going through him, fighting for his life.”

Fortunately, Asher survived the ordeal.

However, life continued to be rocky for Asher.

He had to undergo another surgery just before he turned one month old.

The couple remained hopeful through it all.

When Asher turned six months old, Melissa posted on her Instagram account, saying, “Six months in, my heart longs for the same – to have baby Asher close to me, healthy, thriving and well.”

Asher’s Passing

On 30 March, Melissa made a concerning post on her Instagram account.

In its caption, she wrote, “When all things seem humanly impossible, God please work a miracle.”

“We’re not ready to lose you, baby Asher. You’re our joy and our light.”

She also posted an Instagram story four weeks ago hinting that things were not going smoothly.

The Instagram story is a photo of Asher and his big brother Noah with the words, “Noah asks for Asher every single day. He prays for Asher on his own.”

On 6 April, she posted another post.

It was a photo of her standing on the beach, looking out to sea with Asher in her arms.

The post’s caption was a simple white heart.

In her latest post on 7 April, she posted photos of her family enjoying time in nature with the caption, “My everything.”

Netizens offered their condolences to the family.

One netizen posted a heart-wrenching poem used to help families grieve for an infant who passed.

Some offered prayers for the family during this difficult time.

Many influencers also expressed their condolences to the family.

Actress Sheila Sim, whose Instagram account is family-oriented as well, wrote, “Deepest condolences to you and your family. I cannot imagine what your family is going through right now. Sending you love and light.”

On 7 April, Melissa’s husband, James Chen, posted a photo of him holding Asher at the beach with the caption, “Me and my Asher bear.”

Melissa Koh

Melissa is a Singaporean lifestyle influencer who currently has 270k followers on Instagram.

Besides working with lifestyle, beauty and fashion brands, her Instagram account is family-oriented, often posting photos of her family.

Her first son, Noah, was born in May 2019.

On 2 January 2023, Melissa announced her third pregnancy.

She posted an Instagram reel showing snippets of the ultrasound and her tummy, writing, “A little secret we’ve been keeping: Our little family is growing.”

The Wake

Asher’s wake will be held from 5 to 10 April 2023 at the Church of St Mary of the Angels.

His funeral mass will be held on 10 April 2023.