Help Toby Lim Battle Disability with Mounting Medical Costs

Is your life difficult? Are your problems a stranglehold and taking the wheeze out of you? You can take inspiration from Toby Lim, who stays strong despite losing his ability to walk due to an infection of the brain (Encephalitis) and the membranes surrounding his brain (Meningitis) during his National Service in 2000.

The infection started with a fever that did not subside for almost two days and he was in a coma for almost 2 weeks. On awakening from his coma, his 4 limbs were so weak that he needed help for bathing and eating. The infection had serious side-effects, leaving him currently too weak to walk long distances. Whereas the initial prognosis from the doctor had been that it would take six months to 10 years for him to significantly regain his motor ability, 19 years down the road, he must still use a wheelchair.

Toby was admitted to the hospital in Dec 2018 for fast heartbeat (150 bps), sepsis, hyperthyroid and food poisoning. On the first day of Chinese New Year in February 2019, he was again admitted for a urinary tract infection. He was ailed further by a neurogenic bladder condition, which led to him having a significant kidney stone operation every ten years, with the more recent one having just occurred, on 25 July 2019 at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). He is recuperating now, not just from the operation, but from the costs involved as well.

The doctor believes that he can progress more and will refer him to a bladder specialist for procedures to regain a more normal bladder functionality. He is now searching for help to support him through the process financially amidst mounting daily living and medical costs.

Perhaps it might have been easier for him had he a full family that many are so blessed to have. However, tragedy struck in 2012-13 when his father and brother passed away successively, needing him and his elderly mother to assume the full responsibility of the family. He focused on reviving his family's provision shop but it could not withstand competition from huge businesses like Giant and NTUC so he closed it down in 2015. Whereas a full-time job would be the go-to for many in such circumstances, the job market has not been too kind to him as he finds it difficult to find a full-time job due to his disability. In fact, even before running the provision shop, he could only make do by teaching tuition at the primary level for 7 years till 2012, as well as English Literature and General Paper at the secondary level. There had even been once when he had been selected for an interview but turned down once the interviewer realized he was disabled.

Despite all his difficulties, Toby toiled hard to turn his passion for literature into a Bachelor of Arts in English with Business, graduating from UniSIM in 2006 and was even featured as an inspirational graduate on UniSIM's newsletter.

Currently, Toby resells toys, most of which are vintage, for a living under the Carousell username gaialoves. You can He is so kind that he even donates toys to Mr Adrian Soco for his noble cause of building a toy library for the less fortunate in Philippines. Is it not possible for the community to do something to help such a thoughtful person who spares a thought for others even in such trying circumstances?

He is pained to see his 73-year-old mother still working as a cleaner to support the family and hopes more than anything else that someone will be able to support him in getting a more stable future for him and his mother. He is sincerely grateful to all donors and well-wishers who can help him stay afloat in this world that has almost drowned him at times.

Toby welcomes visitors and befrienders to call him at 90304756 and drop him a visit. Your small contribution to his life means more to him than you can ever imagine. You can also hear directly from him here: https://bit.ly/2YOSZJD

Our news blog https://hypererudite.com/2019-july-20/toby-lim-an-... features an article on Toby Lim for your read as well. Thank you!