Personal tales of life's challenges

LIFE is like a game of carom, you are knocked many times before reaching your goal — this is just one of the inspirational messages penned by Kenny Lee Man Jun.

Lee, 18, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of nine and was wheelchair-bound by the age of 11.

Both Lee and his eight-year-old sister, Penny, who has a heart condition, do not live with their parents as his father, a taxi driver, has colon cancer while his mother died a few years ago.

At 14, Lee was sent to live in Beautiful Gates Foundation Petaling Jaya while his sister lives in another welfare home.

Lee describes himself as a person who is learning to overcome his disability.

“I used to be a very angry person, especially when people made fun of me. I didn’t have many friends because I had a terrible temper and used to fight with my classmates,” he said.

However, he found a good friend in his classmate, Utaya Muthi.

“He used to push me around in my wheelchair,” Lee reminisced, adding that he would like to reconnect with Utaya Muthi as they lost touch when he left school at 14.

Lee now spends a lot of time on the computer.

“I go on Facebook and chat with friends and volunteers, watch videos on YouTube and write short stories about my life experiences.”

He especially likes listening to instrumental music especially Sungha Jung on YouTube.

Lee earns some pocket money by helping his housemate, who runs an online business.

Because of his condition, Lee requires the help of a caregiver and needs volunteers to help with his basic needs such as showering, grooming as well as daily physiotherapy sessions.

Dr Khoo Boon Hock, who came to know Lee from a friend, said sometimes the teenager did not eat or drink as he would need help to go to the toilet.

“Lee would only eat and drink when volunteers are present.

“There are times when he eats and sleeps on his wheelchair as he is unable to lift himself onto the bed,” he said.

A group of volunteers, who want to remain anonymous, have raised funds to provide Lee with a caregiver.

Lee needs a male caregiver eight hours a day, six days a week from Monday to Saturday.

“We still need more money. When the funding stops, so does the care given to Lee,” said one of the volunteers.

The volunteers hope that with a caregiver, Lee’s quality of life will improve.

The teenager tries to stay positive and is learning to accept his disability.

Lee attributes his change in attitude to a doctor he met years ago.

She is also the reason Lee decided to publish a book about his life.

“I told her that I wanted to write a book and after reading some of my work, she encouraged me to keep writing and inspire others,” he said.

Lee has written more than 40 short passages about his life and the lessons he has learnt.

He hopes to compile them into a book to be released this year. He discusses things like overcoming setbacks in life, accepting himself and managing anger.

Lee hopes it will inspire others the way Nick Vujicic, who was born without limbs, and Lizzie Velasquez, dubbed “The Ugliest Woman in the World”, have inspired him.

“I see them as positive individuals who believed in themselves,” said Lee, who wants to become a motivational speaker like Vujicic.

He is hoping to be awarded a scholarship to study Mass Communication and Journalism in a private university.

A fund for Lee has been set up by the Society of Independent Living For the Disabled Selangor.

Contributions to the Kenny Lee Man Jun Independent Living Fund can be made to the Public Bank account 3150110225.

For details, call 03-7875 0943 or email to [e-mail]