Zero to Hero – Lina (the elegant fighter)
Hey everyone, I am back. Do you know Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that distorts the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, relates to others and perceives reality which affects 0.7% of Singapore’s population (Ministry of Health) as of 2010’s report?
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal social behavior and failure to understand what is real. There are five subtypes of schizophrenia: paranoid schizophrenia, disorganized schizophrenia, catatonic schizophrenia, undifferentiated schizophrenia, and residual schizophrenia which has cognitive symptoms like trouble focusing or paying attention, and difficulty remembering.
Hmm, this is troubling.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story of Mr Noel, the ironman, who chose to make a comeback in life despite massive hurdles. Back to introducing Lisa who went through a rather difficult path in life partially cause of the naiveness she brings to the world.
She had a rather big family. She had 6 elder sisters, 1 younger sister, 3 younger brothers and she was number 7 in the family. *Woah! that is BIG* Her Dad was a businessman in Penang of making mosquito nets. Like all typical family, it was a collective family where they had to share most things like during eating, playing, bathing and sleeping together. It was a “kampong” lifestyle.
But unfortunately, according to her, she was always bullied by her siblings when she was young. Examples are like getting canned by them, sometimes for no logical reason.
As she grew up, she attended Kindergarten where she always emerges number 1 in the rank among her other classmates. That made her realized that she was intellectually talented. Hence that did not stop there.
As she turned to the age of seven, she got enrolled to Aitong Primary school, which was one of the top schools then at 1969 to 1974. Over there she continued her top ranking streak. Even though there were more intellectual student in her cohort she still managed to get to the top 3 of the cohort. BRILLIANT!
But, around primary 5, she faced financial difficulty, particularly due to her family, hence she decided to do temporary jobs especially during her holidays. Due to the change of her focus, her results during primary 6 dropped and that cost her ranking too. But nevertheless she managed to enter Nanchiau Girl High School.
Life was typical as every other secondary school student. She was involved in the Co curricular activity of Chinese dance where she gained her flexibility and the gun shooting society where she enhanced her acute sense of sight. It was a fun phase for her as she will be invited by her other classmates to watch the latest movies in cinemas. Eventually at secondary 4 she graduated with good grades.
After graduation, she immediately signed on in the Navy as a switch board operator in Pulau Brani.
That was only there for a short stint until she resigned from it and joined the company named “Deer Land Cosmetic” as an administrator. The job was rather fruitful for her as she was given many key responsibilities like organizing tours for the employees and employers to overseas. That was the time where her male colleague was eyeing at her. But she did not take it seriously and they slowly lost contact after an unfortunate incident which happened to her.
This was what happened. In 1984, her ex-classmates organised a trip to Kusu island for a picnic, where she was invited. But at that time she was having her period (the female ovulation process). Hence she felt uncomfortable and also heard that a individual must remain “clean” when visiting such places that is considered holy.
She refused at first, but after much persuasion from her ex-classmates she eventually agreed and went ahead with the trip. Upon reaching that place they decided to settle down and have a short picnic. Then out came most meaty stuffs like ‘luncheon’ meat and non-veg foods.
According to Lisa, in those times people who fasted with vegetarian foods are only allowed there and to the temples. Even though she felt uneasy she just ate whatever was presented for the picnic. For awhile later, she felt a certain heaviness at the back of her neck as though someone holding or sitting on it. Immediately she became unwell and felt like someone was controlling her like a puppet.
After a bad experience with her classmates, she at a spur of a moment decided to head back to Singapore island on her own. After reaching back home that was when she realized a lot of difference in her. She could not consume any type of solid food for 2 months, and only depended on drinking water. She vomited profusely. As a result, she became very thin.
*This was about when the mental illness started*
Her family thought this cannot continue as it is, hence, she was brought to Tan Tock Seng Hospital(TTSH) for a treatment and a diagnosis for this condition.
According to her, after going there, she was asked to go to the Institute of Mental Health(IMH) instead. It is due to the lack of bed in TTSH, but there was a moment where the doctor actually spoke to the family in private with-out her. *A unknown secret till now*. That was when the family decided to bring her to the Institute of Mental Health(IMH).
“My siblings then brought me to IMH then left me there and ran away.” exclaimed Lisa. She was perplexed, hence she shouted at them to return. But due to the intensity of shouting, Lisa was pinned down and tied up to the wheelchair.
Thereafter, it was the start of her admission which lasted for a couple of months. You know the surprising thing? Throughout her stay there, she did not know her condition. It was Schizophrenia.
Eventually she got discharged to her parent’s new home which was in a condominium. Not only that, it was the time where her male colleague, I mentioned about earlier, got in contact with her again. He persistently followed her wherever she went and bought her gifts. Lisa claimed that he would be seen lingering around Lisa’s apartment. “Then one day, he saw my mother and gave her an “ang pau” (red packet) of money offering to marry me.”
After that, there was no stopping the mother on persisting her daughter Lisa to marry to the man, who was Lisa’s ex-colleague. And then a husband after the wedding. They lived happily. Months later there came a handsome baby boy to the world, who was named as Rayson. A boy who had high hopes upon him by his parents.
He was a typical young boy who grew up graduating from his kindergarten to a primary school. His developing years were good until an unforgettable negative day he faced. Ray and his father was walking back home after buying his mother, Lisa’s favourite food. As they reached home, Lisa did not turn up despite the promise of coming back from work early. Nevertheless they were waiting and became very worried as time ticked by.
Eventually 
they decided to look for her everywhere but to no avail. After about 3 weeks, they received a divorce letter from Lisa. Ray’s father got traumatized. Eventually the divorce happened and Ray’s father got his custody.
Due to all these issues, Ray often got bullied in school. This took place from Primary 1 to primary 3, but despite these difficult times, he got top in class when he was in primary 4.
Even after the divorce, Lisa wanted to pursue her new found passion on being a model. Not wanting to give up despite her condition and negative past, Lisa actually applied her passion of modelling with different agencies. She then got involved with some modelling projects. If you can see the similarity, both mother and child has that inner quality of striving on despite challenges. Kudos!
Coming back to Ray, after PSLE, he went to Tampines Secondary School, where in secondary 1 he got an award for good English speaking, which never stopped there. In secondary school 2, he got praise and commendation award for being responsible student , and also got 1st in history for normal academic stream. Secondary 4 he got teacher’s recommendation award ,praise n commendation award for care and concern. Lastly, in secondary 5 he got a Friend of Singa award, a kindness movement award. Not only that he managed to graduate to Nanyang polytechnic to do his diploma in nursing. And then he got enlisted in Army after that.
In 2014, he got featured in Sunday times and in IMH case management forum to share his story. In 2015, he got featured in patient care giver conference in TTSH and was a recipient star award in IMH where he was working at in 2016. In 2017, he got featured in a podcast titled “12minuteconversation with Engel Jones”. He has also appeared in SCAPE Resilience Series, Human library of Singapore and 93.8 Live’s A Slice of Life.
That is a lot of achievements!! Congrats brother, wishes for more successes?
That is sure a lot of successes he has achieved, that has made Lisa his mother, really proud of him. Despite all trouble and painful situations, Lisa brushes it away when she sees her son bringing her successes and live the life she missed.
When asked Lisa regarding this, she said, “These are the few things which brings glory and victory to my life. I am so proud of him.”
A point to note here, upon seeing the definition of Schizophrenia I mentioned in the first few paragraph, Lisa suffer from a distorted way of thinking, acts, expressing emotions, relating to others and perceiving reality. Hence, some part of the story was clarified by her son, Ray.
Lisa also wants to share with the world that, “I have schizophrenia but I am not schizophrenia. I am not the mental illness. It is just a part of me. I believe people who are suffering from mental illness should not be stigmatized and we should embrace them as who they are and support them whenever we can”.
WISE WORDS!!
Hence, not only achieving success alone, let’s bring along and support each and every individual who is willing to, towards success! ~ Believe to Success
==>Click this link to watch the video of Lisa in youtube<==
Do share with us your stories of challenges to success in any situation (with pics of cause) in livetobelieve4success@gmail.com, I will do a blog about it. Your story will encourage and motivate others to achieve success too!
