Love in Action: A Caregiver’s Journey to Legacy
Ryan Lee’s Journey of Love and Purpose
One thing Ryan Lee will never forget is helping his late father through times of deep vulnerability.
“You go from seeing your father as strong and in control to someone helpless,” Ryan recalls. “But it also felt like love coming full circle.”
As a caregiver to his father, who lived with dementia, Ryan experienced the physical and emotional demands of caregiving, especially during COVID-19. With little support and everything self-taught, he came to understand patience, resilience, and what it means to honour dignity in ageing.
Those experiences didn’t just test him – they shaped him. They gave him the conviction that no one should face caregiving or ageing alone, and inspired him and his brother to build something lasting.
Building on a Father’s Example
Ryan’s father, Mr Lee Choi Seng, was a man of modest means and steady generosity. He lived simply and gave quietly to those in need. His wish to support the aged and the sick became the seed of something larger: a legacy that Ryan and his brother chose to carry forward.
“He didn’t ask to be remembered,” Ryan reflects. “But we wanted his generosity to live on, not for recognition, but to inspire others.”
In 2022, with the guidance of the Community Foundation of Singapore, the brothers established the Lee Choi Seng Foundation, a memorial fund to honour their father. Instead of making a one-time donation, they chose to create something enduring and structured, supporting causes that reflected both their father’s wishes and the siblings’ caregiving journey.
“My father willed a portion of his estate to support charitable causes, especially for the aged and sick, but there were so many options. We could have just donated to a single charity. But with CFS’s help, we were able to create something more structured and impactful,” Ryan explains.
That example continues in Ryan’s own life. He donates monthly to healthcare and social causes, shaved his hair for “Hair for Hope” and has raised funds through endurance sports events for Club Rainbow and SOS, acts of consistency that echo his father’s selfless spirit.
Care That Extends Outward
Today, the Lee Choi Seng Foundation supports organisations such as HCA Hospice, Yong-en Care Centre, and the Caregiving Welfare Association – trusted groups that walk alongside families facing chronic illness, end-of-life care, and the physical and emotional toll of caregiving.
For Ryan, these are not abstract causes. They are grounded in lived moments of love, responsibility, and resilience.
A Legacy in Motion
The foundation is structured with a gradual drawdown of funds, designed to create focused, time-bound impact. But Ryan already envisions continuing beyond that horizon:
“Before I pass away, if I can, I might set up a fund of my own.”
For him, legacy is not about recognition. It is about living out values – acts of care and compassion that ripple outward to touch others.
Inspired to Start Your Giving Journey?
Legacy doesn’t always begin with grandeur. It often begins in the everyday expressions of generosity: a gesture of love, a memory preserved, a value handed down.
Like Ryan’s story, it can start at home — deeply personal, rooted in care — and grow into something greater.
If you’ve ever wondered how your values might live on, or how your giving can create lasting good, the Community Foundation of Singapore can help guide that journey.
You can choose to:
- Give Now: Create an immediate impact by setting up a donor-advised fund to support the causes you care about.
- Give Later: Include a fund in your will, trust, or CPF/insurance nominations for a future legacy.
- Give Now, Give Later: Do both, and amplify your impact across generations.
Start your own journey at www.legacygiving.sg or contact the Community Foundation of Singapore to learn more.
About the Campaign
This story is part of the Legacy Giving Campaign by the Community Foundation of Singapore.
Anchored by the message “Make Your Story Greater,” the campaign invites individuals to reflect on how their values, life experiences, and personal journeys can continue shaping the future through legacy giving.
Because behind every legacy is a life fully lived — and a desire to make that story greater still.
Ryan Lee’s Journey of Love and Purpose
One thing Ryan Lee will never forget is helping his late father through times of deep vulnerability.
“You go from seeing your father as strong and in control to someone helpless,” Ryan recalls. “But it also felt like love coming full circle.”
As a caregiver to his father, who lived with dementia, Ryan experienced the physical and emotional demands of caregiving, especially during COVID-19. With little support and everything self-taught, he came to understand patience, resilience, and what it means to honour dignity in ageing.
Those experiences didn’t just test him – they shaped him. They gave him the conviction that no one should face caregiving or ageing alone, and inspired him and his brother to build something lasting.
Building on a Father’s Example
Ryan’s father, Mr Lee Choi Seng, was a man of modest means and steady generosity. He lived simply and gave quietly to those in need. His wish to support the aged and the sick became the seed of something larger: a legacy that Ryan and his brother chose to carry forward.
“He didn’t ask to be remembered,” Ryan reflects. “But we wanted his generosity to live on, not for recognition, but to inspire others.”
In 2022, with the guidance of the Community Foundation of Singapore, the brothers established the Lee Choi Seng Foundation, a memorial fund to honour their father. Instead of making a one-time donation, they chose to create something enduring and structured, supporting causes that reflected both their father’s wishes and the siblings' caregiving journey.
“My father willed a portion of his estate to support charitable causes, especially for the aged and sick, but there were so many options. We could have just donated to a single charity. But with CFS’s help, we were able to create something more structured and impactful,” Ryan explains.
That example continues in Ryan’s own life. He donates monthly to healthcare and social causes, shaved his hair for “Hair for Hope” and has raised funds through endurance sports events for Club Rainbow and SOS, acts of consistency that echo his father’s selfless spirit.
Care That Extends Outward
Today, the Lee Choi Seng Foundation supports organisations such as HCA Hospice, Yong-en Care Centre, and the Caregiving Welfare Association – trusted groups that walk alongside families facing chronic illness, end-of-life care, and the physical and emotional toll of caregiving.
For Ryan, these are not abstract causes. They are grounded in lived moments of love, responsibility, and resilience.
A Legacy in Motion
The foundation is structured with a gradual drawdown of funds, designed to create focused, time-bound impact. But Ryan already envisions continuing beyond that horizon:
“Before I pass away, if I can, I might set up a fund of my own.”
For him, legacy is not about recognition. It is about living out values - acts of care and compassion that ripple outward to touch others.
Inspired to Start Your Giving Journey?
Legacy doesn’t always begin with grandeur. It often begins in the everyday expressions of generosity: a gesture of love, a memory preserved, a value handed down.
Like Ryan’s story, it can start at home — deeply personal, rooted in care — and grow into something greater.
If you’ve ever wondered how your values might live on, or how your giving can create lasting good, the Community Foundation of Singapore can help guide that journey.
You can choose to:
- Give Now: Create an immediate impact by setting up a donor-advised fund to support the causes you care about.
- Give Later: Include a fund in your will, trust, or CPF/insurance nominations for a future legacy.
- Give Now, Give Later: Do both, and amplify your impact across generations.
Start your own journey at www.legacygiving.sg or contact the Community Foundation of Singapore to learn more.
About the Campaign
This story is part of the Legacy Giving Campaign by the Community Foundation of Singapore.
Anchored by the message “Make Your Story Greater,” the campaign invites individuals to reflect on how their values, life experiences, and personal journeys can continue shaping the future through legacy giving.
Because behind every legacy is a life fully lived — and a desire to make that story greater still.
- Related Topics For You: AGEING WELL, DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, SENIORS, STORIES OF IMPACT
