When disabilities become blessings

One of the things that I relish most about life is making new friends – especially people with disabilities.

Listening to their personal stories gives me the courage, strength and perseverance to overcome the difficulties and carry on with life like a champion.   

The just concluded Ramadan and Aidilfitri festivities were no exception.

Last week, I got to know 24-year old Nur Syazwani Hussain.

Born in Baling, Kedah, Syazwani graduated from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) in Shah Alam, Selangor, with a Bachelor's Degree in Physiotherapy.

She is now employed as a circuit coach in Petaling Jaya in Selangor.

What interested me most about Syazwani is that she has multiple sclerosis or "MS", in short.

The disease places her as the only one (daughter) among three siblings (all boys) who has a disability.

Simply put, MS is a disease in which the covering of the nerves in a person gradually becomes destroyed and damages an individual's speech, sight and ability to move.

Syazwani was diagnosed with the condition in 2008. She was 17-years old then, and it happened just before her major Form Five (SPM) trial exams.

"My first symptom was an eerie numbness which started on my fingertips and ran down to my chest and foot," Syazwani told me.

"It got worse within seconds – so much so that I couldn't even feel the water on my body when I was taking a shower," she added.

Syazwani screamed for her mother who rushed to her assistance at once. However, her mother did not take the attack seriously, thinking that it was due to stress related to Syazwani's exams.

This, despite the fact that her mum had MS too, since 2002.

Perhaps her mother's denial stemmed from the fact that she didn't want to believe that her daughter could one day be affected by the disease as well?

Syazwani's concerns and persistence finally led them to a government hospital and MS was confirmed.

However, as typical with MS, Syazwani's symptoms disappeared after two weeks. She suffered a relapse in 2010.

"It was extremely tough for me and my family, waiting for the results of the numerous tests I went through to confirm I had MS," Syazwani said.

"Every single one of them pointed to MS," she added.

"I recall being in deep shock and extremely upset during that time. But it was the moral support given to me by my mum and my family that pulled me through during that critical period.

"By nature, thankfully, I'm also not an 'easily giving up' type of person. I fought through each symptom, as if I did not have the disease – and strangely, that did help a bit.

"And of course, I'm also lucky that I had MS diagnosed earlier than many others. This ensured that I could get treated sooner in order to get down to my problems."

While there is currently no cure for MS, the good news is that it is treatable. The costs of treatment, however, sadly also burnt a deep hole in Syazwani's pocket and continues to do so until today.

A special injection, for instance, administered on alternate days costs almost RM4,000 a month.

In addition to that, it needs a certain period of time to get used to. Syazwani also suffered severe side effects to medication.

The worst experiences were the fever and dizziness she had to endure because of it.

This made her worried that she might have to skip classes as a result. Falling asleep unknowingly during class was also common.

Fortunately, Syazwani had friends to cover for her by waking her up each time she dozed off.

Things are a little better these days. Syazwani needs to take only one capsule orally each day. 

"This was particularly helpful to imbibe either before my 'Sahur' or after the breaking of fast. The fever symptoms, which I hate the most, have also gone!" she said.

Syazwani has kept her condition private all this time, until now.

Her family are still very supportive of her. And no one more than her mum who understands perfectly what she is going through.

"MS has presented an unexpected challenge for both me and my mum. It has drawn us much closer to each other as we face the future as a mother-and-daughter team in fighting MS.

"Mum is always there for me and she knows I am there for her too – no matter what."

Syazwani and her mum, who are both members of the Malaysian Multiple Sclerosis Society, has the following advice for other MS patients like her: "We can all live a beautiful life if we think positively – even though we have MS.

"It doesn't stop me from fulfilling my duties as a good Muslim, to fast, pray and even go to perform the Haj.

"What is important is to know what are our limits are, and stick to it

"It is also important to share our experiences with MS with our loved ones and closest friends so that they understand what we are going through.

"My mum and I don't have any regrets that we have MS because we believe God, in His Wisdom, has chosen us to turn our difficulties into a blessing!" Syazwani said. – July 20, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.