Healing with Art

A few years ago, 28-year-old Ratha Renganathan suffered two strokes within months of each other. The second, a more severe stroke involved brain hemorrhage, and left the limbs on her right side paralysed, leaving her with loss of speech and memory following frequent seizures.

She underwent four brain surgeries in total with doctors diagnosing her with lifelong paralysis and speech deficiency. As a consequence, Ratha lost her job in Singapore and was forced to stay at home as she initiated her recovery journey.

She had to re-learn ABC, train her left limbs to do what her right used to do, avoid stress, and find a new livelihood post stroke. Perhaps it was more frustrating was the fact that her body suddenly felt different and would not corporate to execute desired movements.

When diagnosed by doctors, Ratha chose not to accept her beat down fate and opted for physiotherapy, speech therapy and with the help of her supportive family, she soon re-gained her memory despite the odds.

When Ratha was first interviewed by THR Radio, she highlighted her interest and passion in opening an art-related business. A dream, which she only got to envision.

“I was a right hander, but after my stroke, working with my right hand became impossible”,

As she began her recovery journey, Ratha was driven once again financially support herself. She applied for multiple jobs and tried to set up various small businesses only to be turned down as she was deemed a liability due to her still frequent seizures despite being put on medication.

Ratha was determined and with the aid of her sister, she managed to enroll in an art class and room started to shift her frustration towards art, her once loved hobby and subject in school. She started getting more control of her movements as she expressed her emotions through art, exploring with acrylic and oils on different mediums.

In May 2015, she participated in an international event on Facebook and received the “International Golden Art Award which boosted her self-confidence and motivated her in creating more art pieces.

Five years down the road, Ratha has mastered herself with acrylic and oil painting and has successfully sold her art pieces. Ratha also run’s an art class for students and hopes to take in adult students as the economy recovers by next year. Her studio is based in her home where she lives with her mum and younger sibling.

Ratha hopes before meeting us was to open an art sanctuary and feature her creations in exhibitions while inspiring stroke patients and survivors to pursue their recovery journey in confidence.

Art aside, Ratha’s amazing recovery journey also saw her participating in the NASAM’s 2019 Stroke Games, snatching the goal medal in the women’s 300M track event.

BEYOND4 and HLX together with DC Mall has come in collaboration to raise funds for setting up a virtual art tutoring set-up at her home, equipped with an array of digital setup that will allow Ratha to teach virtually and expand her classes as well as engaged trainers to assist her in learning how to leverage on technology and expanding her art via social media platforms. Guocoland will also be sponsoring Ratha an exhibition space at DC Mall in realizing her dreams of seeing her art exhibited.

Funds are raised via the Platform that will be primarily used to set up her virtual teaching space at her home by BEYOND4 which will enable her to generate additional revenue via art classes as well as selling and providing art services on the gig platform BEYOND4 has set up. In addition, Guocoland is sponsoring Ratha an exhibition space at DC Mall until March 2022. By doing so, Ratha’s dream of getting her painting exhibited will be realized!