SINGAPORE - After more than 10 surgeries in three years, Mr Jason Leong was left with four fingers on each hand, and had below-knee amputations on both legs.
The 44-year-old had suffered from gangrene, which is the death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection. It commonly affects the arms and legs, including the toes and fingers.
But the avid sports lover and former physical education (PE) teacher - who was in an intensive care unit (ICU) in April 2019 - was determined to bounce back.
Mr Leong, who is currently with a Sport Singapore (SportSG) team to help people with disabilities (PWDs) enjoy sports, can jog and squat with a 40kg weight. Fitted with prosthetics, he takes part in high-intensity training sessions five days a week.
He hopes his journey can inspire others like him to do the same, with Singapore's roll-out of a Para Sport Academy on Thursday (March 10) to create more opportunities for PWDs to pursue sporting ambitions at a competitive level.
The then PE teacher's life changed on April 3, 2019. He experienced chills and soon developed a fever of 41 deg C. In the evening, he noticed traces of blood in his urine and headed to the hospital with his wife.
By the time he reached the hospital, he was drifting in and out of consciousness. Soon after midnight, his fingers, toes and lips turned blue and he was admitted into the ICU. By afternoon the next day, he had fallen into a coma and his liver, lungs and kidney began to fail.
"I was dying, fast. They prepared my family for the worst. They even told my wife to say goodbye," Mr Leong told The Straits Times on Tuesday (March 8).
More at https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...ire-people-with-disabilities-to-pursue-sports
