WHEN love came calling, Dr Death was dead to it.

So clueless was famed Thai pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunan that it took her mum to prod her in the right direction.

Dr Pornthip, 54, is in Malaysia to assist in the inquiry into political aide Teoh Beng Hock’s death.

Mr Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor of the Selangor headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in Shah Alam on 16 Jul, a day after he had been questioned overnight.

Dr Pornthip has been interviewed by both Thai and foreign media several times about her cases but rarely had she given a glimpse into her personal life.

This time, the woman who is sometimes called Dr Death as she often deals with high-profile murder cases, spoke freely about her love life and family to Guang Ming Daily.

The love story of the pathologist who often streaks her hair blonde is just as eccentric.

Her husband, Mr Viroj, had been in love with her for two years and she did not know it.

Then, fate and her mother came into the picture.

In 1982, for the sake of her daughter’s future, Dr Pornthip’s mother went against the family’s Buddhist traditions to seek guidance from a female fortune- teller.

Fortune-teller was right

The fortune-teller said the daughter would become a famous doctor in the future, and that her future husband was right in front of her nose.

That same year, whenever Dr Pornthip went to the bank to deposit money, Mr Viroj, who works there, was always kind to her.

This continued for two years with the soon-to-be-famous pathologist not realising that the soft-spoken Mr Viroj was head over heels in love with her.

Then, her mother reminded her of what the fortune- teller told her so she conducted a few tests to see if he had feelings for her.

She went to the bank during his busiest time of the day to get him to help her with forms and remittances just to put his sincerity and patience to test.

“The funniest thing is, I only remitted a 100 baht ($4) each time I went,” she said

The romance blossomed quickly after that and the couple tied the knot six months later on Valentine’s Day. Dr Pornthip was 28 at that time, her husband three years older.

She told Guang Ming Daily: “I must thank my mum for bringing us together.”

Life was not a bed of roses, though. First came Dr Pornthip’s miscarriage.

Although her husband wanted lots of children, she had to wait for 10 years before they had their only child Yaravee,whoisnow17.

“Actually the second pregnancy came as a miracle, and I believe it had something to do with a pledge we made during a vacation in southern Thailand. Viroj asked for a child and I found myself pregnant again not long after,” said Dr Pornthip.

Yaravee is currently pursuing a course in interior design.

Life still took a few swings at Dr Pornthip but the doctor took the blows well.

Her family has a history of cancer. Her mother suffered from cancer twice, and eventually died of lung cancer at the age of 53.

Then,Dr Pornthip also was hit by cancer twice.

She was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was 42. The following year, she was diagnosed with colon cancer,Guang Ming Daily reported.

She said that she was depressed, but she did not show her vulnerable side in front of her husband and daughter. Instead, she talked about cases of colon cancer survivors to keep their spirits up.

Fortunately, she sought early treatment and the cancers were soon brought under control.

Supportive family

She credits her supportive family for her sense of well-being.

“True love can overcome everything,” she said. Her husband is currently working as an auditor for the bank. And despite the vast differences in their work, the couple has got on pretty well.

Both her husband and daughter appreciate the effort she has put into her forensic work.

However, her safety has always been her daughter’s greatest concern.

Each time she travels to Southern Thailand, which has been hit with separatist violence, to carry out her field work, she will take special note of her daughter’s advice to stay safe.

When asked whether she felt she was a good wife and mother, Dr Pornthip said she tries her best to cook for the family during the weekends, unless she was tied down by her work.

She said she even makes dresses for her daughter sometimes.

As a devout Buddhist, Dr Pornthip believes in rebirth. However, she said if given a choice, she would prefer not to be reincarnated as a human being in her next life.

The reason: She does not want to deal with deaths all over again.

About Dr Pornthip

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan co-founded and heads the Thai Justice Ministry’s Central Institute of Forensic Science.

She has handled many high-profile cases in Thailand and was in the news when she lead a team of international pathologists to identify the remains of Asian tsunami victims in 2004.

Her life and work were profiled in a National Geographic documentary, Crime Scene Bangkok, that same year, and she was involved in the probe into the recent death of Hollywood star David Carradine in Bangkok.

Dr Pornthip has 10,000 autopsies under her belt, including 100 cases of fatal falls from heights.

This article was first published in The New Paper.