What Lies Ahead

Pong has mastered her self-described technique to “always smile,” regardless of the setbacks she faces. Her ability to persevere through daily pain and decades of health complications is admirable.

Pong's lunch at the hospital that
she gave away to help another friend

While visiting with her today, she continuously struck up friendly conversation with the women in the communal hospital.  During my visit, she had numerous sincere interactions with the other patients and visitors alike. Mrs. Sue is the wife of a patient in the next room whose husband is recovering from radiation treatment for kidney cancer.  She came by Pong’s bed once the nurse aides delivered lunch.  Pong gives away most of her meal to Mrs. Sue so that she too can eat while she stays at the hospital to provide support and care for her husband. Pong patiently listened to Mrs. Sue’s concerns with a cheery smile, nodding in agreement and commenting with a positive remark when necessary.  She wisely explained once Mrs. Sue departed, “it is the patients who are always more comfortable than their relatives.” Pong has an innate ability to recognize discomfort and unease and offers anything she can to make others happy. 

Pong is overwhelmingly sympathetic and acts as a strong, resilient role model for others. Despite her own complicated and painful health status, she looks past her personal struggles to provide support and love to others.  Her strength is infinite.

Pong remains full of hope and emanates with vibrant energy. She looks forward to the future and is intent on sharing her story with others to shed light on those in her country that live with disabilities and to increase government assistance for the disabled community.  “I want to share my story with the world!” she explained, when asked what she hopes the future holds for her.

In the immediate future, Pong is looking forward to returning home in time for the Mooncake Festival next Thursday, September 19th to celebrate the moon's blessings with her family and friends. While the doctors have advised Pong to remain indoors to avoid acquiring a bacterial infection and complicating her recovery, she hopes to cook her favorite dishes and celebrate with others.  

While home in Ipoh, she will take another visit to the hospital to see a dentist. While Pong laid in a coma for 2 years, her teeth rotted because they weren't brushed for an entire year. She is excited to receive dentures which will brighten her smile in time for her next public engagement. In mid-November, Pong will speak at a conference to share her experiences and shed light on what life is like living with a disability in Malaysia. She is determined to broadcast her story to people around the world to encourage others to persevere though adversity and rise above challenges with a positive attitude. "Happiness and a smile is all you need," Pong advocates.

- Melissa R.

A Rapid Recovery

I experienced an inspirational and uplifting meeting with Pong Seow Chin today at the Kuala Lumpur General Hospital (KLGH).  September 10, 2013 marks my first introduction to Pong and my first visit to a Malaysian hospital after arriving in Kuala Lumpur less than 24 hours ago.  As soon as we were introduced, Pong received with open arms and spoke to me with a cheery smile and bright outlook.

Pong will be discharged from the hospital on Thursday, October 13th - two days from today - to return home to Ipoh.  An ambulance was reserved to bring take the two-hour trip from Kuala Lumpur to ensure her safe return home.  As an OKU, the Malaysian government must provide secure and appropriate transportation for Pong because she is an individual with a disability who cannot travel by car or public transportation.

            

 A mere two weeks after surgery,
Pong is recovering successfully
without aid from pain medication.

Before entering surgery two weeks ago, doctors warned Pong that she had a 50 percent chance of survival.  But after a five-hour procedure that necessitated the participation of seven doctors, Pong is recuperating well and leaving KLGH earlier than expected.

Pong waited five years for this surgery.  During the first four years, Pong remained on the KLGH waiting list, hoping to receive approval from the doctors that her surgery had been granted.  The fifth year of waiting was spent traveling between the Ipoh hospital and KLGH, working diligently to prove that the surgery was a necessary and life-saving procedure.  

During this five-year standstill, Pong could not consume more than 5 mL of water a day, about 1 teaspoon’s worth of fluids.  To quench her thirst, she could do nothing more than splash liquid down her throat.  Unable to sufficiently hydrate her organs for five years, Pong now suffers from irreversible kidney damage.   

Despite the daily health challenges Pong must address every day, she has a sincerely hopeful outlook and emanates with positivity.  I find it difficult to narrate her experience at battle with her health because it is unfathomable.  Moreover, Pong refuses to speak negatively or dwell on the past.   When I asked her how she felt when waiting to hear from doctors or how she her recovery is moving along in the hospital, she responded the same way each time.  

"Oh, I am fine. It is nothing. Everything is good!" Immediately thereafter, Pong flashed a grin, kindly shook her head to change the topic of conversation away from her health complications and moved on to an encouraging subject. 

What is her trick? A woman sporting this brand of fortitude must have a strategy.  “Always smile,” she says with a grin as she rested in the hospital bed, looking out onto the KL mountainscape.  “It is a waste of time to make excuses for ourselves.”