One day with John

Contributed by Rtr Lloyd Cheam

Uncle Chew, “ Hey, you know what? I got this friend who is paralyzed from neck down and have never been to Genting. Do you think your club can do something?” (Uncle Chew is a former Rotarian from Rotary Club of Port Klang)

This is how it all started and how we get to know Ah-John (John Chong). Ah John is 25 years old this year and has been spending most of his life in the wheelchair. Even in the wheelchair, there isn’t much he can do. He is paralyzed from neck down, with only very minimal and slow movements with his hands for eating or making a call using a mobile phone. That actually means he can’t move his head too, as he has no control over his neck. I get to learned more about his handicapped on the day we visit Genting. IPP Harnniann Toh, Eng Tee Lee, my friend Li-Shun Hiew & I were the people who decided to make it a day for him.

We pick him up early in the morning from his house. I wanted to greet him like any other friends, so I smile and wave hello. Instead of getting back a regular smile and a wave, Ah John just sits there looking straight at me and the rest. Then, I realized he can’t pick his hand up high enough and wave and his smile is quite forceful that it doesn’t look like a usual smile. I could feel that his timidity over meeting new friends. This is how I met him.

After a brief introduction, we decided to head out. However going out with Ah-John is not like any other regular outing. Given that he is not able to pick himself up and have no absolute control of his body, he needs full support and assistance whenever he goes. Uncle Chew, who has been a long time friend with Ah-John shows us how we have to carry him from the chair he is sitting on to the wheelchair; how we should carefully push the wheelchair, how we have to firmly carry him out from the wheelchair into the car, making sure he is comfortable the way he sits in the car and etcetera.

It actually takes quite a while for us just to get him from his house into the car. I said, “Hey, why not let me carry him?” Uncle Chew responded, “It’s okay, I will do the carry because not everyone is used to do this. Plus, just in case, we don’t want if anyone felt frighten and let go of him.” Carrying Ah-John is something like carrying a dead body, except that Ah-John is still breathing and totally conscious. Oh yeah, he is 60 kg. Uncle Chew even made a joke when IPP Toh asked, “He is 60 kg? Why didn’t he do something to lose his weight?” Uncle Chew looked back with an odd look, “Yeah right, so how is he going to keep fit?” Yeah, we again have forgotten that he lives an extraordinary life.

So, Ah-John sits at the front passenger seat and with me at the driver seat, the rest are all seated behind. I am glad I have some small pillows in my car and we use them as a head support for him while IPP Toh sitting right behind him at the back seats, giving him a hand whenever I make too fast a turn and his head slip sideward or backward. Despite all these, we started interacting and conversations are flowing effortlessly. I found out we actually share the same elementary school, Hin Hua Elementary School. He says that he was there until Standard four. So, I guess that was when he started to have problems like these.

After 2 hours of driving, we finally arrived at the cooling peak of Genting Highlands. As far as we concerned, we know that we are not going to do things that we usually will do because Ah-John’s handicapped would have prevented him. Roller-Coaster, Merry-go-round on the wooden horses and etcetera are pretty much out of the itinerary. So, it will be pretty much just sight-seeing. As soon as we found our way into the parking lots, I have carelessly forgotten that I need a more spatial parking lot in order to drop off Ah-John. Inevitably, it crossed my mind that how many times people ignored the handicapped sign and just parked their car at the handicapped parking lot.

One thing about going out with Ah-John is that time will have to play an indecisive factor. We take about 30 minutes to find a place where we get more rooms, get the wheelchair out from the car, get him down from the car to the wheelchair, and then get the car parked. Furthermore, what makes me feel heartache is that wherever we go, we are constantly being reminded of how tough it is to get around? We made our way from the car and trying to find an elevator but found out that the entrance slope built for wheelchair access is blocked by a car illegally parking there. Thank god we have enough people there to lift the wheelchair up instead of walking somewhere else to look for another entrance.


Our first stop is the Indoor Theme Park, yet it is another tough time to get around. There isn’t much handicapped accessibility here. There are certain places where there is a handicapped lift machine but most places just do not have it. So, basically we work as a 4-person lifting team and we carry Ah-John in his wheelchair wherever there is a need to do so, through the escalators and the short staircase. Uncle Chew was teasing him about getting a treat of the Emperor and I could hear him laugh loudly like any other person would do the same.

I have to admit it is actually getting monotonous for me. I would say it will be dreary for anyone as we could only do sight-seeing. We go to the Video Games World, the Indoor Theme Park, the Casino, and the highlight of the day is actually taking a ride on the train that gives you a ride around Genting. All in all, I am not complaining here, it just really tells you what a life Ah-John has been living. Plus, these are things that we have no control over.

Almost every single thing he does require assistance. Can you imagine yourself calling for help because you need to pee? Or asking for help because you accidentally lose your balance a bit and your head slip backward? Or frequently asking for help for almost everything that you wanted to do? Probably it is just too much for anyone to take it. If out of sudden, you lose control of your limbs, how many of us would have the courage to tell ourselves to live on and to look at life nothing more or less but in a same positive way it has always been? We know it is not just the uncontrollable limbs, it is not just the unruly nerves, it is the freedom that we enjoy but have taken it for granted for most of our life.

We wrap up the trip by leaving Genting at around 6-7 pm. On our way back, I let IPP Toh take charged of the car and I can’t help myself dozing off at the back of the car. Yet, I still hear Ah-John talking excitedly and asking, “Ah? You guys are already tired?” I guess he must been very happy with the trip and naturally he wanted more. Deep in my heart, I pray that he will stay that way forever. If not, at least for a long long time.

Yes, Ah-John looks so tiny when he is in his wheelchair; he looks so fragile when he needs help to move around. Yet, standing in front of him makes me feel insignificant as I dare not even have the courage to imagine myself to be in his shoes, not for long but maybe just one day. I probably would just cowardly beg that this one day would quickly sneak through even without much notice. I might just want to sleep it away so the next day when I got up, I would be returned with my movable limbs and body. However, what if the next day never comes…