O-Level students’ determination in face of physical adversity pays off
(From left) Janessa Yu, who has a rare nerve-disorder affecting her muscle tissue, scored seven distinctions in the O-Level examinations; Samuel Lim, who had an accident when he was a baby that left him unable to speak, scored an L1R5 of nine, enough to secure him a place in a junior college. Photos: Jason Quah, Don Wong/TODAY
SINGAPORE — A nerve-disorder affecting her muscle tissue meant that she took longer than most to complete her exam papers, and at times, she would fail to complete the papers even with additional time — which happened when she sat for the O-levels last year.
But St Margaret’s Secondary school student Janessa Yu overcame the odds to score seven distinctions in the exams, the results of which were released today.
Diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease when she was five years old, Janessa suffers from muscle weakness and decreased muscles in her limbs, which can affect her balance when she walks or when she writes.
Her condition is rare here, so much so that she was initially diagnosed with cerebral palsy by doctors, and she was only correctly diagnosed after consulting doctors from the United States, said her mother, Mrs Lillian Yu, 56, a personal assistant.
To ensure her safety, her mother would accompany her to school every morning on public transport.
The school, too, assigned her a buddy to help her move between classes, and arranged for extra time for her to complete her exams.
Upon receiving her results today (Jan 11), Janessa was visibly emotional, saying: “I’m just grateful for the help and understanding (my friends and teachers) have given me … I would tell (future students) to do their best, so they don’t live with any regrets.”
Described as disciplined and motivated by her teachers, Janessa refused tuition, preferring to study on her own, earning her the Model Learner Award throughout her four years at St Margaret’s.
Her co-form teacher Shamini Rajandran said Janessa was also adamant about being treated as normally as possible. “We would ask her if she wanted an extra chair in (assembly), or ask if she was okay in class ... But she didn’t want to be fussed over, she always said that it was okay,” she said.
She was also undaunted by her Community Involvement Programme requirements, which included her packing Chinese New Year goodies for residents in Ghim Moh last year and delivering them. “Just seeing the residents’ smiles was worth all the effort,” she said.
Also collecting his results today was Samuel Lim, 16, from Yuan Ching Secondary School. An accident when he was a baby left him unable to speak, and he had to be fitted with a breathing device and be fed through a feeding tube. Music became his outlet for self-expression, after his mother Mdm Tan Poh Ling, 44, introduced him to the piano at the age of seven. Apart from playing in his school’s guzheng ensemble, Samuel is also part of a band formed with his schoolmates in which he plays the piano. The group, consisting of members who play various instruments, has performed for beneficiaries of HCA Hospice Care.
He scored an L1R5 of nine, enough to secure him a place in a junior college. “After I get my results, I hope that I can see myself in National Junior College or Nanyang Junior College, as they both have the guzheng ensemble,” said Samuel today, who communicates by typing, helped by instant-messaging applications.
A Grade 7 piano player, he also regularly performs at charity events as a musician, including at the SPD Charity Show last year. Over the years, he had received help in pursuing his musical interests from various organisations such as Club Rainbow, which awarded him a grant from its Talent Development Fund, which helped pay for music lessons. “The award spurred him on and gave him the confidence to perform on stage,” said Mdm Tan. “He used to speak less, and before, we didn’t really know how he felt.”
His Secondary 4 form teacher, Mr Chen Zhanjiang, described him as someone who “displays resilience in all aspects of life”. Although he was occasionally absent from school for medical appointments, he “continued to work hard from home, with the help of his classmates, who collated his school work and shared with him what was covered in class”, Mr Chen said.
While Samuel expressed interest in pursuing music full-time, he noted that it “will not be easy to pursue music in Singapore”. For now, he plans to take music as an A-level subject when he enters junior college.
