When was the last time your whole family travelled on a plane together?
For one Singaporean, this year marked a first.
In an Instagram post on Sept 18, content creator Denson Chow shared how he was finally able to get on a flight with his whole family — after his 83-year-old father, who is a wheelchair user, missed out on their previous holiday due to “accessibility issues and finances”.
“Last year, I brought my mum to China and she cried because my father couldn’t join. This year, I can finally afford to bring the whole family out, plus Kelvin, to experience a family trip for the first time,” he said, crediting the support he received online for making the trip come true.
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According to the 31-year-old, his family had stayed in government rental flats for seven years “fighting poverty”.
In response to AsiaOne’s queries, Denson shared that the entire trip for the whole family cost less than he had expected — coming up to under $10,000 for a seven-day-six-night trip from Sept 15 to 21.
The family headed to China, visiting Hangzhou, Suzhou and Shanghai.
While the family had travelled to Genting Highlands together last year, it was the first time Denson’s dad had taken a plane in 31 years, he added.
Recalling the last holiday to Chengdu and Chongqing, the content creator shared that his 74-year-old mother would cry every time she was amazed by something.
“She feels guilty for enjoying things alone without my dad.”
This trip, however, meant that the family could finally experience those moments together — much to his parents’ delight.
“Haven’t seen them so happy in a while,” he said.
In the video, Denson’s parents could be seen enjoying the city alongside their helper Abegail, whom the content creator thanked for helping make the trip possible.
Various snippets also showed his mother smiling fondly at the elderly Chow and interacting with him.
At one point, Denson’s father even stood up to enjoy the view at a waterfront location.
“Even though he can’t walk more than two steps, he stood up to enjoy the Shanghai breeze,” the content creator wrote.
While the family did come across some challenges, such as having to miss out on some restaurants due to them being located on the second floor or basement, Denson said the trip turned out “smoother than expected”.
In the video, the 31-year-old also shared a shot of his mother singing Zhou Xuan’s Shanghai Nights happily — a stark contrast to when she was crying during their previous trip together.
Watching her, Denson quipped: “The little girl in her came out today.”
This was a sight that he cherished. “All of them became kids,” the 31-year-old recalled.
His favourite part of the trip was when his parents dressed up for dinner on the last day.
Meanwhile, what his parents enjoyed the most was having a premium car drive them around.
Ending off the video, Denson said that he wanted to do his best to keep his parents happy for a long time.
“This is a reminder to spend more time with your family while they are still here.”
As both his parents “loved the experience”, Denson shared that the family is considering travelling to Beijing next.
“Back to saving,” he said.
Keep asking
In a separate post in June, Denson shared that his father would often say that he did not want to go out, particularly after he began using a wheelchair.
And “for the longest time”, he believed that was truly the case.
However, upon giving it some thought, the content creator said he started to wonder if his father was just worried about inconveniencing him.
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“What he doesn’t know is that these walks aren’t just for him, they’re for me too,” Denson said, adding that even though taking his father out required “a little more planning”, it keeps him in the present and helps him slow down amid Singapore’s fast-paced lifestyle.
This proved to be true when the older Chow opposed to the trip initially.
“He was afraid of the plane and the difficulty of travelling with a wheelchair,” Denson told us.
While his father continued to refuse for the following months, the content creator said they went ahead to book the flight anyway.
Looking ahead, Denson said he knows there may come a day when he wishes he had taken his father out more.
“So now even on days where he says he doesn’t want to go, I’ll just keep asking.”
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