Memory mishap: Dementia-stricken wife cuts husband’s life savings to shreds

An elderly Chinese woman, who suffers from dementia resulting in memory loss, took a pair of scissors to her refuse collector husband’s life savings of 100,000 yuan (485,000 baht). The irony of her husband’s savings being reduced to refuse was not lost on him.

A video of a Chinese woman from Heyuan City of Guangdong province in China has been circulating on Chinese social media and news websites over the past week. In the video, there were seven bags filled with fragments of torn banknotes. The banknotes were all 100 yuan (485 baht) bills which amounted to 485,000 baht.

The woman, identified as Wang, said in the video…

“I just wanted to cut them. I cannot live any longer anyway. I do not feel guilty, do not regret it.”

Her actions left her husband devastated, as he felt the world was collapsing around him, witnessing his saving turned into tiny scraps. Wang’s husband, who works as a refuse collector, revealed that the money his wife destroyed had been the family’s life savings.

He stated that the destroyed savings were a significant portion of the family’s finances, collected primarily from collecting and selling garbage.

Wang’s husband went on to explain that Wang suffered from dementia, which left her bedridden and caused her condition to get worse. It greatly impacted her mood, leading to constant depression and negative behaviour.

Luckily, after the story was publicised, local bank officials confirmed they would help the elderly Chinese man by quickly counting, gathering, and exchanging the damaged currency as soon as possible.

In Thailand, damaged banknotes in poor condition can be exchanged for new ones at the Bank of Thailand. If damages are more serious, the owner of the money has to submit the necessary documents for further consideration.

An exchange also can be made at the Government Savings Bank every day during business hours. For other commercial banks, the exchange can be made only on Wednesday.