Madam Sara Bte Ariffin - Thye Hua Kwan Hospital

“When I was first admitted to Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital
(AMK-THKH), I couldn‟t walk,” recalls Sara Ariffin, 50. “I had just
suffered a mild stroke which left my entire left side limp.” It didn‟t
help that Sara had an earlier fall that resulted in a tear that affected
her nerve.
But Sara, whose husband passed away seven years ago, was
determined to get well quickly so that she could go back to
supporting her mother who is 83 years old.
Although physically impaired, Sara remained positive and motivated. During her stay at the
hospital, some of her optimism rubbed off on other patients as well. Though she does not
speak any Chinese dialects, that did not hinder Sara‟s attempts to spur some of her fellow
patients on. She constantly encouraged them to follow her to do bedside exercises. Even the
patients who were generally withdrawn and moody began to cheer up!
“I also tried to encourage them to eat,” says Sara. “I always reminded them, „you must eat
otherwise you won‟t have the strength to do your exercises‟,” adds Sara who also learned
tai-chi during her stay at the hospital. Together with a fellow patient, they managed to round
up all the other patients in her ward to do the morning tai-chi workouts together.
Rehabilitation has not always been a breeze for Sara though. “I remember once I almost
broke down while doing the „dough-nut‟ exercise at the gym,” reveals Sara, referring to one
of the exercise stations in the gym which required her to hang „dough-nut‟ rings onto pegs
placed at different heights. But with sheer determination, Sara finally managed to overcome
that hurdle. “Friends and family kept me positive,” says Sara. Her mother, sister Ajar and
brother-in-law Ahmad Tarmizi were very supportive and helpful throughout this period.
Doreen, the friend she got to know at the hospital and with whom she still keeps in touch, is
another great source of support.

By the time Sara was discharged, she could walk with minimum assistance though she has
to continue her rehabilitation at home and at the centre as an outpatient. Whenever she
visits, she makes sure to seek out the nurses as well as the other patients to see how they
have been.
Sara has even started to volunteer at the hospital. “I‟m here every Saturday for half a day,”
she says, “what I do is welcome and talk to the new patients and try to orientate and put
them at ease. I always share my experience with them – how I couldn‟t even walk when I
first arrived and how happy I am now that I can walk again. I hope that when they see how
far I‟ve come, they will be inspired to work hard to get better.”
Article courtesy of Singapore Health