AI-assisted content helps entrepreneur inspire others with his recovery journey
PETALING JAYA: When entrepreneur Allan Foo Kit Seng suddenly found the words on his mobile phone becoming blurry back in May 2021, he thought there was something wrong with the screen.
Moments later, the then 49-year-old Bandar Sri Damansara resident realised the problem was not his phone but himself. He had suffered a stroke.
Today, at 54, Foo has transformed that life-changing ordeal into a mission to inspire others, becoming an online sensation through artificial intelligence-assisted content and his abc123podcast on a popular online video platform while proving that stroke survivors can still embrace new opportunities.
“I don’t want people to see stroke survivors as limited. Physically, I may not be what I used to be, but I can still create, entertain, teach and inspire,” he said in an interview.
His latest AI-assisted comedy videos have attracted millions of views, with one Instagram reel from his account, abc123makeitsimple, garnering 1.8 million views in just four days.
By learning how to use AI to script and edit videos, Foo has discovered a new way to connect with audiences while showing that physical limitations should not stop anyone from acquiring new skills. Yet behind the humour lies a deeper purpose.
“I’ve already gone through the worst. Now I ask myself, what’s next? If I can’t work like before, what else can I do? I can show people they don’t have to stay inside the box,” he said.
Foo said his family was his greatest motivation during recovery – especially his son, Alex Randall Sy, who was still in primary school when the stroke struck and is now 16.
His elder son, Anthony Renzo Sy Foo, 19, also stood by him throughout his recovery while caregiver Hasmah Hassan, 53, became an important pillar of support, helping him through daily routines, rehabilitation and his journey towards independence.
“I told myself I had to be strong and face it head on because my children were still growing up.
“As a father, I couldn’t give up,” he said.
Foo recalled experiencing blurred vision and weakness before collapsing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Friends rushed him to hospital, where doctors stressed the importance of receiving treatment within the “golden hour”, saying the quick response likely saved his life.
Recovery, however, was a long and difficult journey.
He spent more than two years in a wheelchair and underwent intensive physiotherapy, acupuncture and stem cell treatment before his mind gradually became clearer.
The former student of Victoria Institution and the school’s Cadet Corps Band drum major likened surviving a stroke to returning home after a robbery.
“A stroke is like someone breaking into your house and making a mess of everything. You can sit there crying over what happened, or you can start cleaning up your house.
“Nobody else can clean it for you. You have to rebuild your life, one step at a time,” he said.
That mindset inspired Foo to document his recovery.
Encouraged by friends, he began sharing his journey online in September 2023, initially to help fellow stroke survivors and their caregivers navigate the physical, emotional and mental challenges after a stroke.
Today, his content blends humour with practical advice while his podcast simplifies stroke recovery through three principles – Awareness, Balance and Control – to help survivors and caregivers better understand the recovery journey.
Beyond entertaining audiences, Foo hopes his story will encourage stroke survivors to keep moving forward, no matter how long recovery takes.
“Nothing is easy, but you have to keep going. Recovery is a lifelong journey. I don’t want to be remembered as a stroke victim. I want people to see that I’m a stroke survivor.
“If my journey gives even one person hope and the courage to keep fighting, then everything I’ve gone through has been worth it,” he added.
