He was my greatest hero I have ever seen. He fought an uphill battle the very day he was born, being born without a knee ligament. His knee was bent in the opposite direction and being a small little frail baby, he struggled through.
If you remember Forrest Gump, well, my hero had to endure the exact same thing, except that he was only a primary school kid. Having to endure the taunts of his classmates and friends daily, he couldn't do anything except sit by the wayside and watch his friends play without him. He loved to be sporty, wanting to engage in soccer and basketball, the all-time favourite of kids, but wasn't possible because he had to wear calipers everyday. It hurt so bad each time he put those on, but they were needed to make his legs grow straight with proper support. Abrasion and lesions were a common sight around his legs... he was only a kid then.
He made the most of his life, decided to pick up playing the drums because it was about the most vigorous activity he could engage in that could mean something. From then, he become a prolific drummer and whenever he played with the band, it moved the hearts of people. Everything was good and he managed to cope with his life, going to the gym, working out and straining even his legs because he wanted to achieve the impossible. Within his group of friends, he was known as the strongest and fittest amongst them all! He overcame all odds against his physical disability and led as life which impacted others.
Everything was going well, him snagging a great job as a dentist at NDC, and he was a real charm there! Nope, not just with the girls, haha, but all the children always made requests to have him as their dentist because he was so gentle with them. Amazingly, within his 6 months at NDC, he drew in the highest income for NDC even though he was new there! If anything I know about kids, I am sure they recognise sincerity well, and it was a perfect testimony to this guy's character and personality. Saying this, he was the kindest and meekest person I have ever known, yet possessing both great inner and physical strength.
Just when everything seem smooth sailing, he was suddenly diagnosed with a rare heart condition 1 day before he was scheduled to leave to Australia to take his exams for a specialist dentist degree. It was such a deadly disease that he had to go for an operation and miss the exams. Now, the problem was that this is a high-risk operation and it did not look too optimistic, but leaving it as status quo was even higher risk. This came so suddenly for him. The chest pains he experienced for the past few months, he attributed it to a muscle strain because of his rigorous training in the gym. No one suspected anything because he took great pains to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and he was!
Against all odds, he went through the operation and recovered faster than the doctors expected. It was amazing even though I had to see him struggle everyday just to walk because of the major operation he went through. Through the entire 1 month of recovery period, I have seen him whincing in pain, but never once complaint to anyone. Until 1 fateful morning, he passed away in his sleep because of a brain haemorrhage.
He made such an impact during his lifetime, that during the wake at Singapore Casket, so many people came that there was no space in the biggest room, and the corridors were jam packed and many were forced to wait at the lobby and outside the building... even in his death, his life carried such an influence.
The reason I'm sharing this story is because I have seen his life a constant struggle, but yet he strived to make an impact in the lives of those around him. He was unassuming, yet his words carried much weight with his peers. Not well known in the public arena because he detested popularity, but those who came in contact with him, had a residue of his influence.
He is my brother, my greatest hero. Words don't do him justice. He might not be living anymore, but his memories will never fade from me because one of the lives he impacted most, is myself... this is my tribute to him!