KOTA KINABALU: When little was known about mental and physical disability in Sabah decades ago, Helen Sanderson Platt initiated several programmes and helped set up a centre to change people’s attitude about the issues.

       She used her public relations skills, and as the wife of former Malaysian High Commissioner to Canada, Tan Sri Thomas Jayasuriya, she initiated awareness programmes on mental and physical disability, and raised funds.

       Helen was also instrumental in setting up Seri Mengasih Centre for the intellectually disabled, including children and adults with Down’s Syndrome and autism,, in the early 1980s.

       Helen, who took her husband’s last name, Jayasuriya, after getting married in Sabah in 1957, passed away at the age of 92 from pancreatic cancer on June 5.

       Her passing was shared by her daughter Catherine on Facebook.

       She recalled how her mother would often talk about her childhood in a village called Hayfield.

       Catherine said her parents met when her father was reading law in London, and she came to Sabah with him when he proposed to her.

       Helen worked as a teacher and taught history and geography at LaSalle secondary school in Tanjung Aru.

       Catherine described her mother as a literature lover and a person who many would often come to for advice, even for personal matters, because she provided common sense solutions.

       “Through all her activities, she had the admiration of leading figures in Kota Kinabalu society.

       “She was past president of the Inner Wheel Club of Kota Kinabalu and director of the Seri Mengasih Centre, which seeks to raise the hope and dignity of the intellectually and developmentally disabled,” she wrote.

       When Catherine’s father was appointed High Commissioner to Canada, Helen devoted herself to furthering Malaysia’s international interests.

       “My mother was a great advocate for women. Her friends and family will deeply miss her strong and gracious character,” she added.

       She said Helen was amazing at crossword puzzles and spent countless hours tending her orchids in her garden in Penampang.

       Helen is survived by her 96-year-old husband who is also battling cancer, children – Richard, Catherine and Helena – and five grandchildren.

       The funeral service will be held at 9am this Saturday at Fook Lu Siew Funeral Parlour here followed by a burial at Nirvana Memorial Park.

       Donations can be made in honour of Helen to the Seri Mengasih Centre and the Palliative Association of Kota Kinabalu, Catherine said.

       Former Seri Mengasih manager Cecilia Thane remembered Helen as a caring and compassionate person, who always did her best for the children of Seri Mengasih, as well as the staff.

       “She taught the community what intellectual disability was.”

       She said Helen could have just enjoyed life and spent her time doing other things, but chose to devote her time to the intellectually disabled and other charitable causes.

       “We slowed down in 2006 as she had to focus on family matters including her grandson, Dusty, who suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” Thane said.She said Helen’s passing was a loss to the community and personally, a huge loss to her as well as Helen was a close friend.