KUCHING: Staff nurse Debra Moset would always keep her husband, John Then Hua Ken, updated whenever she travelled for work.
Last Tuesday, the 40-year-old mother of two told him about her trip to Long Lellang aboard a Flying Doctor Service helicopter, sending messages and photos at every point along the way.
The helicopter had landed at Ba Lai and Long Siut en route.
“In her last update, she said on WhatsApp that she was on the way to Long Lellang. That was her last chat message and a few minutes later, the helicopter crashed,” Then said at the family home in Kampung Semadang near here, ahead of Debra’s funeral service yesterday.
Debra was one of five people killed in the crash. The others were pilot Capt Zainol Afiq Bee Sham, 30; medical officer Dr Ainul Baraah Kamarudin, 33; assistant medical officer Alexson Adit Henry, 31; and staff nurse Jessie Paya Jok, 44.
Then, 44, said Debra had served in the remote village of Long Lellang for several years before being posted to Miri and was well known to the community there.
“I also have relatives and friends in Long Lellang whom we regard as family.
“When I received her last update that she was on the way there, I felt at peace because, to me, Long Lellang is a safe place,” he said.
When friends in Long Lellang informed Then about the crash, he initially could not believe it.
“But in my heart, I realised it must be true because I had sent multiple messages to my wife without receiving any reply.”
Then said he would always be proud of Debra for her service and sacrifice to the nation in the line of duty.
He described her as humble, kind and deeply dedicated to her work.
“Wherever she was stationed, she never had any problems with her colleagues. She was a good person and always honest in her work.”
Then also recalled that he and Debra had gone on a holiday to Singapore shortly before the crash.
“It was just the two of us. The holiday was her idea. After we returned, she went back to work and then the crash happened,” he said.
Debra’s funeral at St Patrick’s Chapel in Kampung Semadang was attended by family members, friends and colleagues.
In a moving eulogy, her niece Lizfornia Derik described Debra as a dedicated nurse, loving mother and kind aunt who led by example.
“As a nurse in the Flying Doctor Service, she had the courage to travel to remote places, no matter how far or difficult they were to reach.
“Though my heart is shattered, I’m very proud of her. She left us in service and returned as a hero. We will remember her in our hearts forever,” she said.
Debra was laid to rest at the St Patrick’s Chapel cemetery shortly after noon.
She is survived by her two children, Euodia Then Suling, 15, and Eugene Then Kuling, 12.
