Victoria School
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Hope lost, dignity found
The secret of his illness tore them apart. Now his wife is helping his art speak for him, after his death
by Woo Sian Boon 04:46 AM Jul 07, 2012
He lost his mother at age five and his father at 15, but Martin See Tho was determined not to let that set him back in life.
With the support of two older sisters, he sailed through Victoria School, earned a Mechanical Engineering degree from the National University of Singapore, and landed a job at Diethlem Engineering, before proposing to the woman in his life, Ms Sandra Choo, who he had met at NUS.
Said Ms Choo: \"I was attracted to Martin because of his talents, ambition, commitment and sincerity in going all out to win my heart.\" They married in February 1998.
His career was thriving; designing the facade of the Rendezvous Hotel was just one of the many projects on his plate.
But towards the end of 1998, Mr See Tho began tripping and falling down unexpectedly at work.
He was plagued with double vision, back pain and weakness in his limbs. It became dangerous for him to visit work sites, so he quit to become a trainee teacher instead.
\"He was a very tough man; he felt he could overcome the illness on his own,\" recalled his wife. \"He would tell me he was okay, he was on the mend. We probably underestimated the extent of his condition.\"
A SECRET DEATH SENTENCE
Traditional treatments and physiotherapy only bought brief respite from the pain. He began to walk with lurching movements that got him mistaken for a drunkard.
In 1999, after being referred to a neurologist, he was diagnosed with Machado Joseph Disease - a progressive muscular degenerative disorder that eventually leaves patients with no muscle control in their extremities. He was only 30 years old.
In an article he contributed in 2008 to Creative Life, a publication of the Singapore Soka Association, Mr See Tho described the helplessness he felt. \"My whole world collapsed when I got to know that ... the symptoms would worsen with the passage of time,\" he wrote.
\"I felt I had been given a death sentence. I became hysterical… broke down and cried uncontrollably.\"
But his stubborn nature, again, surfaced. He did not tell his wife the full news. \"I tried to stay positive, firmly believing that my condition would improve with medication and strong prayers,\" he wrote.
FEELING BETRAYED
He hid the truth from Sandra, too, when he had to quit working as a trainee teacher because standing long hours in front of a class became too exhausting and painful.
He continued leaving the house each morning, so that she wouldn't find out. Unable to pay the premiums, he let his insurance policies lapse.
But by March 2001, he could no longer keep matters secret. His world had darkened with his increasingly blurred eyesight, and every step caused him excruciating pain. He could not do without a wheelchair.
When he confessed it all to Ms Choo, she told TODAY, \"I felt betrayed and hurt that he did not reveal the true extent of his illness to me. Whenever I had tried to speak to him about it, it would lead to a lot of contention between us, so I'd stopped asking. But I always thought he was able to recover.
\"To be frank, all I wanted then was to walk out of his life, as all the promises he had made to me and our son were not true.\"
And she did walk out the door with their infant. But as she dithered in the playground downstairs figuring out her next step, she got an SMS from her husband: It was a farewell message.
She went back upstairs to find him trying to jump out of a window. \"It was then that I knew I couldn't leave. For the sake of our son, I decided we must stay strong and fight on,\" said Ms Choo.
'I'M NOT DISABLED'
Financially, they were in trouble. There were medical bills and housing loans to pay on Ms Choo's sole paycheque as an IT project manager. They sold their five-room flat and downgraded to a four-room one.
Determined to do his part, Mr See Tho hunted for a job despite being in a wheelchair. He was overjoyed to be hired as a clinical coder at a hospital.
With little knowledge of the medical terms he encountered keying patient case sheets into a computer, he would cart home thick tomes and painstakingly pore over them. Said Ms Choo: \"He was a fast learner, and in just a few months he was very competent and taking on complicated cases.\"
Faced with mounting bills, Ms Choo repeatedly appealed to her husband to apply for assistance from the Society of the Physically Disabled (SPD). But he adamantly refused to be labelled as 'disabled'.
Then came the day she got a call from Mr See Tho's supervisor, informing her that he had been let go for his own safety. Apparently, with loss of muscle control, he had been falling out of his wheelchair frequently.
HELPLESS
Confined at home, Mr See Tho picked up web design so he could work freelance. But the disease soon left him incapable of even the most basic functions.
He wrote: \"Imagine how terrible and helpless I felt as I started to lose those abilities that were once so naturally mine - my career, freedom, money, dignity, the ability to speak clearly and to even swallow food ... to sleep soundly, to stand or sit, to balance myself, to see clearly, to breath smoothly with my lungs, to distinguish colours and contrast - I was beginning to lose them one by one, as days went by.\"
On occasions, he fell down while Ms Choo was at work.
\"He would call me as he could not pick himself up - and when I returned home two hours later, he would still be exactly where he fell. There were also times when he bled profusely from severe cuts and I had to rush him to the hospital,\" she said.
In 2005, Mr See Tho finally relented and applied to the SPD for therapy subsidies. But what he also found was hope, through the IT courses organised by SPD and Digital Art Social Enterprise (DASE).
FINDING DIGNITY ONCE MORE
Using Adobe Photoshop, Mr See Tho began digital painting.
In 2006, his art pieces were picked for an exhibition along with works of other DASE artists. He wrote: \"Each and every one of them was completed with my heart and soul. Through them, I could feel a sense of dignity, a sense of achievement rather than being seen as a 'disabled' person, treated with mere sympathy.\"
In 2006, a bad lung infection landed him in hospital for three months. Ms Choo was advised to put him in a nursing home to be cared for.
She cried when she brought him to the Sri Narayana Mission Home for the Aged. But a composed Mr See Tho joked that he could finally live in a landed property with a big garden, a big computer room and caregivers.
Dreaming of one day exhibiting his pieces again and collating them into a book, he would sit with a bulky Dell laptop on loan from the SPD, and lose himself in a palette of colours, lines and shapes, created layer by layer in Photoshop. \"Sometimes, he would draw the same line 10 times before he was happy with it,\" said Ms Choo.
To surprise him, Ms Choo worked with DASE and an IT training centre, adamsapple, to organise a solo exhibition for her husband. In 2007, Sentient Light was held at the National Library.
FINAL GOODBYES
In March 2009, Mr See Tho, 40, was admitted to hospital for the last time. He was gasping and cushions had to be wrapped around his skeletal legs to stop them knocking against each other.
The sight of his father hooked up to machines frightened their son, and Ms Choo stopped bringing him on visits. \"But at the last lap, everything fell into place. He was resting peacefully when my son arrived, and they were able to say their final goodbyes.\"
That was also the night she finally, after all these years, told her husband: \"I love you.\" The next day, he died.
It was only after his death that Ms Choo discovered her husband had completed another 110 digital paintings, all in three short years - a prolific achievement for any artist.
Vowing to exhibit all 160 of his works, she held a tribute exhibition in 2010. The proceeds from 82 canvas prints sold were donated to four charitable organisations. This month, another 30 works will be on show at the School of the Arts, where there will be a visual presentation of his story and art.
MARTIN SEE THO'S DIGIART EXHIBITION
- On from July 20 to 23, noon to 8pm, at Gallery@SOTA, School of the Arts. Admission is free.
http://www.todayonline.com/People/EDC120707-0000012/Hope-lost,-dignity-found -
Press Conference with NFA U15 - 24th Lion City Cup Finals - 14-yr-old Royston Tan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDOJ5--90NY -
New Doggy:
Refering to the DSA (Sports) this year, was quite disappointed to see that Wushu can be considered for 2013's intake but not for 2012's intake (last year's DSA).
Don't be upset. Your older boy can still join VJC in 2016. I am sure that he has make many new friends in his new school. Which school did he go? Your younger boy might benefit from the new list of DSA (sport) which include Wushu. -
SSS Profile: Amsyar: I'm no heroJuly 19, 2012 - 12:25am
By:
Nicholas Neo
TNP PICTURE: BENJAMIN SEETOR
IT WAS the National Schools A Division football final last May.
With the score locked at 0-0, things were not looking rosy for favourites Meridian Junior College (MJC).
For 30 minutes, the defending champions just couldn’t find a way to break down the stubborn St Andrew’s Junior College.
Then, to thunderous applause from the stands, Mohd Amsyar Omar Abdullah made his appearance as a substitute, despite an injured shoulder.
What an impact he made. The MJC striker netted two goals in the space of five minutes, won his team their fifth title, and bagged the Man of the Match award in the process.
Deservingly, his feat of scoring his first goals at the Jalan Besar Stadium also earned the 19-year-old a nomination for The New Paper’s School Sports Star Award brought to you by H-TWO-O.
Said Amsyar: “This being my final year, I was desperate to leave an impression on my school.
“The reception I got from the crowd was really heartwarming. I never knew the extent of the support I had until then.
“Before I came on, I told myself that I couldn’t let down the school. So, I went out and gave everything I had.”
Just weeks before, Amsyar had badly bruised his shoulder during the semi-final match against Anglo-Chinese Junior College, and he only managed to make the final after intensive physiotherapy.
It wasn’t the first time had saved his team.
In last year’s final, his team’s goalkeeper Daniel Lightfoot was sent off in the second half.
Recalled Amsyar: “Everyone was in shock and Daniel was walking off the pitch crying.”
With the reserve goalkeeper not feeling well, vice-captain Amsyar volunteered to don the gloves.
Despite playing in an unfamiliar position, he helped MJC win the final 1-0.
After his heroics, his teammates have jokingly called him “the legend” and “superstar”.
Team captain Mohd Naufal Nur Hakim said: “If there’s one thing about Amsyar, it’s that he’s really a fighter.”
Good example
His coach, former S-League player Fabio da Silva, said: “Amsyar has been a very good example. He never misses training, he is never late, and he does his own training (outside of the team’s schedule).
“I can see great desire in his heart to become a good footballer.”
However, Amsyar chooses to stay grounded.
“I’m no hero, I’m just a boy who wants to play football,” he said. “To be honest, I can’t be singled out for any praise. It’s a team game, and my teammates helped me as much as I helped them.”
Growing up, Amsyar was surrounded by a sporting family.
His sister, Nur Amelia, plays netball and was a nominee of the TNP Award last year.
His father and grandfather were amateur footballers, and it was his dad who introduced him to the sport when he was six.
His uncle, Syed Othman, was a former teammates of football legend Fandi Ahmad. In fact, Amsyar has a picture of Fandi holding him as a toddler.
However, Amsyar’s career wasn’t all smooth sailing.
In 2010, he was close to registering for the National Football Academy Under-17 team, but had to pull out due to his parent’s objections.
He said: “My parents and I had a discussion, and they were worried (about my studies). So I had to give that up.”
His parents’ concern was not unjustified.
When he entered MJC, the former Victoria School student admitted to facing a “culture shock” and he failed his First Year.
But that only made Amsyar more determined to succeed.
To concentrate on his studies, Amsyar declined to join Nike’s The Chance talent search competition this year. He also declined an offer to join Hougang United’s Prime League squad.
Besides his love for football, the Manchester United fan also has a penchant for all things wild.
He explained why his non-football role model is the late wildlife expert Steve Irwin: “I learnt a lot from him, and watching his show really inspired me to be more interested in the topic.
“Hopefully, after my A Levels, I can do some volunteer work at Acres (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society)or the Singapore Zoo.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yiFL5dGpxl4 -
Keeping the flag unfurled...
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http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h372/manu-123/vsflag-2.jpg\">
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Victoria School's 136th Speech Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAch6t-hka8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFf8hB55ma4 -
Speech Day Guest-of-Honour and old boy, Minister of State Teo Ser Luck meeting with Sec 2 boys.
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July 23, 2012, 8:00 AM SGT.2012
Olympic Profile: Gary Yeo.
By Shibani Mahtani
With the London Olympics fast upon us, SEA Real Time introduces the athletes who will represent the region at the 2012 Summer Games. Come back for regularly for our profiles of the Olympians.
Singapore Sports Council
Singaporean sprinter Gary Yeo.Gary Yeo
Event: 100-meter sprint
Born: Aug. 30, 1986
Career
Gary Yeo once entertained thoughts of joining Singapore’s armed forces or police force. But he decided otherwise in favor of athletics after two years of mandatory conscription, a requirement for all males living in the city-state once they turn 18.
Now 25, Yeo is considered one of the fastest men in the region, with two silver medals from last year’s Southeast Asian Games to his name. Currently training in Japan, he is about to make his Olympic debut, representing Singapore in the 100-meter sprint.
Having first competed in regional sporting events in 2004, Yeo didn’t always have dreams of competing in front of stadiums full of cheering supporters. In Yeo’s school in Singapore, many of his classmates were athletes and happened to “rope [him] into the sport.” His coaches along the way saw potential and convinced him to pursue athletics competitively.
Now at the Singapore Management University studying business management, Yeo still does not consider himself a “professional athlete.” But he has participated in regional competitions for years and strives to improve his own personal best time (10.46 seconds) in Singapore. Bettering this time–ideally going below 10.40 seconds–is his key goal at the upcoming games.
Singapore’s record (10.37 seconds) in a men’s 100-meter sprint is held by celebrated athlete U.K. Shyam from 2001 – still the fastest-ever Southeast Asia Games silver medal timing.
Having trained in Japan for the past month, Yeo says he has been soaking up all he can from professional athletes, learning how he can prepare himself mentally for the Olympics. “The atmosphere would be more charged up [than other competitions], with the whole world looking on,” he said, adding that the biggest challenge would be London’s cool weather – even in the summer months – compared to Singapore’s tropical heat and humidity, as well as the time difference between the two countries.
Yeo notes that pursuing athletics, particularly for Singaporean males, isn’t always the easiest path, particularly with a gap in training created by two years of military service, which he says is “unkind to athletes.” He credits his success to the support of his coaches and his family, as well as the flexibility of his university to plan his lessons and examination dates around his training schedule and competitions.
Besides fulfilling his own personal goals in London, Yeo also hopes to meet global sporting stars and looks forward to the thrill of competing in front of a full stadium.
Memorable quote:
“I am thankful for all the coaches that I trained under as I learned a lot from all of them. Each of them has affected me along the years I have spent in the sport and I still keep in touch with them… It is an honor and a dream to be chosen to represent Singapore for the Olympics.” -
VS added the C Div floorball title to the B Div title it won earlier this year, beating Northland Sec 12-2 in the final.
VS has now won the C Division title in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012.
VS won all its 11 matches, scoring 168 goals and letting in only 25.![](\"http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h372/manu-123/db4be9e7.jpg\")
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Sec 1 and Sec 2 boys in the Inter-school Dragonboat Racing Championship
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