The Warrior

A strong fighting spirit helped Stephanie rise above her adversities instead of admitting defeat.

A single lady in her early 60’s, Stephanie was an accounts assistant who enjoyed her independence. When she woke one Sunday to go to church, Stephanie was unable to move her limbs or stand.

She was taken to a hospital and was eventually diagnosed to have suffered a stroke and hospitalised for a month. As a result, she was unable to bathe herself after her discharge due to weakness in her left arm and stiffness in her fingers, and could not return to work.

Stephanie’s fierce spirit of independence enabled her to be optimistic as she was determined to re-join the work force. The staff at St Andrew’s Community Hospital told Stephanie about ABLE’s Return-to-Work (RTW) programme.

Not letting this setback deter her, she sought help from ABLE and through their weekly therapy sessions, she worked to regain the strength she needed to be employable. ABLE supported Stephanie in her recovery in various ways – providing assistance to get a motorised wheelchair, rehabilitation therapy and facilitating opportunities for her to attend job fairs and interviews. A year and a half after her stroke, Stephanie was ready to return to work.

With ABLE’s referral, she found a job as an accounting assistant with ABLE SEAS, a social enterprise funded by ABLE, which provides accounting services for charities. Stephanie is grateful that she is again contributing to society.

She shared some significant moments from this journey, “I believe that God was with me through this whole experience. He reminded me how precious life is, and that he wanted me to be strong and courageous in carrying my Cross. Every day is still a challenge, but now I have the resolve to face each and every day with courage. My niece calls me a warrior.”

Stephanie hopes that the public will be more sympathetic and patient towards wheelchair users within the community.

Stephanie is grateful for the support from her family and ABLE. As for her future, she intends to continue in her quest for self-improvement and job skills upgrading. She is currently continuing with her rehabilitation and attending the LCCI certification training.

ABLE seeks to enable and empower persons with physical disabilities to live productive, meaningful and independent lives.