Hi! My name is Jeremy Lim. Here is a story about me, written by me. Long, long ago…oops…! I mean, not so long ago, on 29 June 1990 , the silence of Gleneagles Hospital was shattered by my piercing cries.
I believe it must have been louder than that of the other newborns because I came into this world with a fractured leg. Not many babies have this opportunity to be born with a broken bone. So from day 1, I was unique. I cannot remember the pain but I know it must have been excruciating. Within a week of my existence, I was diagnosed with 'Osteogensis Imperfecta'.
It is a condition in which my bones break easily because my body lacks the collagen required for a sturdy bone structure. A tiny sneeze or a cough can cause my bones to snap. Over time, I have come to realise that breaking a bone isn't all that bad. I can always take advantage of the adversity. When I broke my right arm, I learnt to write with my left.When I fractured my left arm, I learnt to write with my right. Now, I am ambidextrous. Whenever, I hurt my forearm and had it bandaged for a couple of weeks, I felt good. Why? Well, I thought I looked kind of cool…like Rambo! You may think I am crazy.
However, I realise that I cannot change the situation but I can control the way I react to it. Pain is inevitable but misery is optional. I can choose to moan and groan or to look at it in a more positive light. After all, when you look at the bright side, there will be no dark shadow in sight.
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| Beauty and the pleased : Mrs Goh Chok Tong and I sharing a light-hearted moment. |
On 15 December 2002 , I had the privilege of meeting Mrs Goh Chok Tong at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert sponsored by Philips Singapore . I was wearing a sling to support my broken arm. Being a compassionate lady, she asked about my condition. Replying to her concern, I said, “Oh! I have just returned from the war in Iraq .” That drew peals of laughter from all including the gracious Mrs Goh.
You can say that I am just like David in the story of David and Goliath which saw the giant harassing the village children frequently. Everybody was terrified. No one had the courage to do anything. The villagers would cower in fear each time the giant approached.
Visiting the village one day, David asked his brother, “Why don't you fight the giant?”
His brother responded, “Don't you see? He is too big to hit.”
David said, “No, he is not too big to hit. He is too big to miss.” The rest is history. David went on to kill the giant. As you can see, the giant is the same but the perception is different.
My life is full of unpredictable accidents. It is impossible to tell which bone will break next. However, one philosophy keeps me going. That is, I may not be able to control the waves in my journey through life but nothing is going to stop me from learning to surf.
My thirst for knowledge must have been developed before I was born. While I was still floating in my mother's womb, she read to me the whole volume of My Giant Treasury of Fairy Tales . It is no wonder that I have the tendency to start all my compositions with 'Long, long ago…' and end them with ‘…and they lived happily ever after'.
I do not know if this early hothousing helped but I do know that I can be a teacher's nightmare because I am pretty good at giving them answers which sound wrong but are in fact logical, at least to me.
For instance, when I was in K1, my teacher asked, "What can you find in a house?"
"Table! Chair! Television!" responded my classmates.
The teacher noticed that I was sitting rather quiet and still.
So he asked, "Jeremy, what can you find in a house?"
Enthusiastically, I replied, "Tree!" "Tree? No, Jeremy.
You cannot find a tree in a house," he said gently.
"Yes, you can," I said. "A Christmas tree!"
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| Teachers' Nightmare : Grr...grr... |
You should be there to see the look of shock on the faces of my teacher and my mother. My mother had to be in the class because of the special woman that she is. She paid the fees to join the class and I attended lessons for free. You know…two for the price of one.
With the benefit of hindsight, I think I must have given my mother many anxious moments. As an innocent young child, I said a lot of things that I should not have. Anyway, I think I still do! Once, I told my teacher rather innocently that she looked like a bear with a small head and a big body. I remember my mother was desperately gesticulating for me to keep quiet. Perhaps, ignorance is bliss!
Time flew by. Before I knew it, I graduated from kindergarten, after burning a huge hole in my parents' pockets. They had no choice but sent me to one of the best private kindergartens, The Children's Place, because, with my condition no other school would accept me.
For my Primary 1 registration, it was the same old story. My parents had to go school hunting. Except for one, all the schools they approached turned us away as if I was suffering from some dreadful contagious disease. One principal even had the gall to suggest sending me to a special school in Margaret Drive !
Little did they know that within the next six years, I would be a storytelling champion three times over, two-time double gold medallist in an international Mathematics and English competition organised by the University of New South Wales and among the top 10% of my PSLE cohort! What's more, I am now the Young Ambassador of the National Kidney Foundation Children's Medical Fund.
I was featured in various newspapers and periodicals and on television because of my achievements. My picture even graced the front page of The New Paper on Sunday, 11 March 2001 . I am sure it was not because of my good looks. It was to show that children like me can also be an inspiration.
I am proud to bring honour to Pei Chun Public School because the principal, Mr Chen Keng Juan, has been so kind to me. He has given me a chance to develop my potential. He is a man who believes that every child can make a difference and he lives by that philosophy. Mr Chen, if you are reading this, I want you to know that I owe you a debt of gratitude.
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| Simply inspiring : Mr Chen Keng Juan, former Principal, Pei Chun Public School , giving me a few encouraging words. |
Life has been one big challenge for me. I have broken my bones so many times that I have lost count. Each time it happens, I will be disadvantaged because I cannot attend school for weeks. On top of that, I will keep the whole neighbourhood awake at night with my anguished cries like a distressed wolf howling at the moon. Okay, okay, I was just exaggerating.
Now, my day is crammed full with activities. Besides attending school at Catholic High, I have tuition, enrichment and supplementary classes from Mondays to Fridays. My Saturdays and Sundays are taken up by extra classes in Oral Communications at Juliet McCully's School of Communication , and Musical Theatre at A & M Wilkinson. Phew! It looks like my parents are liable to be charged with child abuse.
Of course, I do not mind it at all. To me, learning is a joy. It is full of excitement. Attending the various classes gives me the opportunity to develop myself intellectually, socially and emotionally. I love every minute of it. What I cannot achieve physically, I make up for it through conquests that require brain power.
When I was four years old, I used to ask if both my parents would die some day. If they did, who would take care of me? Now, I want them to see that I can be independent and reciprocate their care and love for me.
Mum and Dad are active by nature. They are taekwondo exponents. While Dad holds a eighth dan blackbelt, Mum has four SEA Games gold medals under her belt. I am sure they would love to have a child to carry on their legacy but when they had me, they loved me not a bit less. The sacrifices they have made for me are something I will never be able to repay fully.
I am a fighter not a quitter. If necessary, I will climb the highest mountain to get what I want. You may say that it is difficult or impossible. It is my mountain. I will climb up or crawl up. Believe me, I will!
