Join me as I revisit a pivotal chapter in my life—a journey that took me from being a free-thinking skeptic to a firm believer in faith. Born and raised in the quaint town of Tanjong Malim, Malaysia, my story is one of transformation, resilience, and the undeniable power of God’s grace.
A Carefree Upbringing
Reflecting on my early years, I recount a life free from religious beliefs, despite my parents’ adherence to Taoist practices and ancestral worship. From my primary school days to my upper six grades, I proudly identified as a “free-thinker,” untouched by the concepts of God or faith-based practices.
A Glimpse of Light
The winds of change began to blow when I entered the University of Malaya in 1972. Through the Varsity Christian Fellowship, I was introduced to Christianity—a faith that was foreign to me until then. Bible studies, Christian fellowships, and church retreats paved the way for a newfound understanding of spirituality.
Embracing the Gospel
In the midst of life’s challenges, I encountered the Gospel once again. The message of Jesus as God in human form and His selfless sacrifice resonated deeply within me. With a heartfelt prayer, I made the life-altering decision to accept Jesus as my Savior and Lord—an unwavering commitment that would reshape my life.
A Transformed Life
The transformation that followed was nothing short of miraculous. Christianity brought me an inner peace and purpose I had never experienced before. Gratitude, humility, and contentment became my companions, leading me to focus on God and others. Through the ups and downs, my trust in Jesus grew, guiding me through life’s challenges.
Triumph Over Adversity
In a chilling December of 2019, a life-altering accident left me paralyzed. But through God’s mercy and grace, I defied the odds and fully recovered, confounding expectations. This profound experience solidified my faith in Jesus, igniting a deeper sense of gratitude for His unwavering presence in my life.
Witnesses of His Transformative Power
As I conclude this journey through my testimony, I invite you to witness the transformative power of faith in action. From a skeptical free-thinker to a faithful believer, my story is a testament to the remarkable changes that can occur when we open our hearts to God’s grace. Join me in embracing the journey, and may you find inspiration in the boundless possibilities of faith.
On 26/12/2019, I attended a post-Christmas, pre-New Year celebration dinner with my cardiologist colleagues in a hotel in Ipoh. After dinner, when I was leaving the restaurant, I tripped and fell. I could not remember how I fall. I must have lost consciousness, and when I came to myself, I saw my friends looking at me and calling me.
I could see and hear them but I had a strange feeling. I could not feel my body below the neck and this was frightening! It was as though my head was cut off from the rest of my body from below my neck. I could not move my hands and feet, and there were no feelings below my neck. Then it dawned on me that I was tetraplegic, and the fall had resulted in a neck injury and spinal shock.
Prolapsed intervertebral disc
My colleagues called for an ambulance and transferred me to KPJ Ipoh Specialist Hospital. The paramedics were very careful not to move my neck and protected my neck with a cervical collar. I was immediately taken for an emergency MRI brain and neck scan and subsequently admitted to the ICU. The MRI scan showed no head trauma, but there was a prolapsed intervertebral at the C3/C4 level causing a 90 % compression of the spinal cord, confirming the diagnosis of a prolapsed intervertebral disc with cervical myelopathy at the C3/C4 level. By then, it was already past midnight.
Spastic tetraplegia
The next morning, I was taken for a CT scan of the neck to delineate the prolapse intervertebral disc in more detail. By then, the spinal shock had resolved but I was tetraplegic. The spinal surgeon who attended to me advised urgent spinal cord decompression surgery to remove the prolapsed intervertebral disc and to decompress the spinal cord. He explained that this was a delicate and precise operation, and there was a risk of permanent spastic tetraplegia in the event of complications arising during the operation.
Spinal Surgery
At 8 pm on 27/12/2019, I was wheeled to the operation theatre for the scheduled operation. I heard the anaesthetists in attendance saying that they were giving me pure oxygen, and will be putting me to sleep. The next thing, that I remembered was the doctors calling my name, asking me to wake up, and saying that the operation was over. When I opened my eyes, I saw the doctors, nurses, paramedics, and the clock in the operation theatre, and it was 11 pm. I was wheeled back to the ICU.
Rehabilitation
After 8 days in the hospital, I was well enough to be discharged and was able to walk with great difficulty using a walking frame. After 6 more weeks of outpatient physiotherapy and rehabilitation, I finally recovered and was discharged from physiotherapy. At that time, the COVID-19 pandemic kicked in, and the whole country was under lockdown. It took me another 3 months before I became ambulant. It is now almost 3 years post operation and I am fully ambulant but still requires the assistance of a walking stick.
Thanks for the support
I thank all my cardiologist colleagues for calling the ambulance and protecting my neck during the ambulance transfer.
I thank my wife, sons, daughters-in-law, sister, brother-in-law, nephew, niece, relatives, in-laws, friends, pastors, church members, ex-school, and ex-university classmates, for their prayers, support, care, visitation, encouragement, and reassurance.
I thank the spinal surgeon, neurosurgeon, neurologist, anaesthetists, radiologists, staff nurses, nursing aides, paramedical staff, radiographers, physiotherapists, KPJ ISH hospital directors, and all the hospital staff, who had attended to me during my hospitalization.
Miracle
According to one of my cardiologist friends who was an eyewitness to the accident, I fell head facing downwards hitting the floor, and was lifeless for about 5 minutes. He said that at that moment, he thought I have died and was so worried for me. When I woke up again, it was a miracle. According to one of my sons, who is an anaesthetist in New Zealand, he said that such an injury almost always results in permanent tetraplegia, and my recovery in such a short time was indeed a miracle.
So many people prayed for me, through whats-app messenger and in person. My wife and sister were very supportive throughout my hospital stay and postoperatively. My in-laws were also very supportive throughout my ordeal. They drove me to various places outside Ipoh during the Chinese New Year of 2020 for food and recreation, just to cheer me up.
Thank God
I thank God for saving my life, rescuing me from spinal shock, rescuing me from spastic tetraplegia, successful spinal surgery, and successful rehabilitation
I thank God for preserving my life so that I can serve Him in the church. For the past 3 years, He had enabled me to write and publish 38 books. God is good, He loved me, had compassion, mercy, and grace on me, and His eyes were on me throughout my ordeal. I had experienced such amazing grace.
Testimony
I was once paralysed but now I can walk! I hope this testimony will be an encouragement for you as it had been for me.
