Life as Jenny Pong

Often we think that an accident, a calamity or even the death of a loved one are all it takes to unhinge us and make us depressed for eternity. We think that we will never be able to bounce back from something that terrible, and more often, when something that high a degree of misfortune happens to us we tend to play the blame game, whether on a friend, a family member or God, we feel that in that moment, life is unfair and these events should not be happening to us.

Ever wondered what it would be like to have to go through such harrowing circumstances? Such as poverty? Or surgery to amputate both your legs? Or to have your husband leave you in the most trying times of your life? Jenny Pong knows what those are like. She is just another person, like you or me, who has been given a tough hand at life. She is an absolutely incredible woman who makes no time for sadness but rather focuses on making her life happier. She knows that everyone goes through bad things in life, and has decided to be one of those who twists the bad and makes it good. Rather than being upset at the loss of limbs, Jenny Pong takes it in her stride and lives day to day being happy and content.

Most people would question, ‘What is it that you can possibly do without the use of your legs?’ In actual fact, just about everything. In order to live life to the fullest, you have to continue on and not let the emotional sadness pull you down. Jenny moves around her house on a home-made trolley, thanks to her younger brother. She lies on her abdomen on the trolley and moves herself around using her hands. This is Jenny’s only mean as to move herself around in a relatively quick and easy way. The alternative was to drag herself by her arms along the floor, ripping her clothes and perhaps even injuring her belly. 

An organization known as ‘Limbs for Life’, initiated by Bandar Utama Buddhist Society in PJ, makes its own prosthetic limbs for people who cannot afford to pay for them. Funded by Corporate and Public donations, ‘Limbs for Life’ offers people with amputated limbs a free service in being fitted with a prosthetic limb as well as maintaining the fitting by having checkups every so often. For someone like Jenny, having a prosthetic limb fitted would make her life so much easier, not only in terms of physicality but also emotionally as well. Life as an amputee is tough, but over time Jenny got used to living this way. So imagine if she was given a fitted prosthetic limb? It would be an emotional rollercoaster for her, but in a very good way. She would be able to do all the things that she used to do, and with so much ease. 

Source: The Star

Jenny Pong is just one of those people that even if you weren’t able to offer her the treatment for the prosthetic leg, she would still live her life happy and with no unhappy thoughts to bring her down. She is just one of those people with whom you really want to meet. Her positivity is contagious and you feel comfortable and laugh straight off the bat with her. She will put your life into perspective and teach you more about living life happily merely through her actions alone. She has inspired those who have met her and they find her loving and caring even though she has had so much taken away from her. She demonstrates the ability to be truly grateful for all that she has and does not look at what has happened to her as an obstacle on the path to her future. She refuses to let sadness rule her life, and is happy at every opportunity. Someone who has lost an awful lot, sure knows how to live an amazingly bright life. 

Written by
Nadiah Mohd Nasir
11 April 2015