This year’s Valentine’s Day, we share the heartfelt love story of Mr Mikail Wong and Mdm Siti Nooraini Bte Abdul Manaf who have been together for 23 years.
The couple met at a games arcade company, where they worked in different departments. At the time, Mr Wong was 22, and Mdm Nooraini was just 17. When asked about their first impressions of each other, Mr Wong beamed and told us that he found her beautiful and really wanted to get to know her. However, the feeling was not mutual. Mdm Nooraini thought he was a strange man as he would always smile at her whenever he walked past her desk.
Over time, through more interactions at work, they became friends. In the early days of their relationship, the couple bonded over their love for food and would go exploring for hidden gems together.
“Mikail was a gym-buff when we first met! He took pride in exercising, and we would spend time together working out before having a good meal together,” said Mdm Nooraini.
The turning point
Their relationship strengthened with time, and they tied the knot in 2002. Their daughter was born a year later.
In 2020, life threw a curve ball at this little family and their lives were changed forever.
Mr Wong, 47, remembered that the incident happened on a Thursday night. He had taken up driving taxi and was about to take a break at a petrol kiosk. As he stepped out of the car, he felt a sharp pain in his spine and the entire right side of his body went limp.
Fearing it was stroke, he called his wife who knew that something serious had happened as he seldom made random calls during his shifts. She rushed over after calling the ambulance. “It felt surreal,” Mr Wong admitted. “At first, I thought it was a stroke and that I was able to quickly recover from it.”
For Mdm Nooraini, she knew she had to be strong for her family from the start. “When the doctor told me he would never walk again, I was scared. I was worried about everything – his condition, our finances, and even our daughter, who was preparing for her O-levels at that time,” she said.
It turned out to be spinal arteriovenous malformation and hemorrhage in the C6 to T5 section of his spinal cord. This rare condition can often go undiagnosed, with many individuals living with it unknowingly until a severe event occurs.
Mr Wong was hospitalised for six months and he underwent numerous therapy sessions daily to help him regain control of his body. The family had to adapt to a new way of living, with Mdm Nooraini stepping into the role of Mr Wong’s primary caregiver. The transition was difficult, but she remained determined to support her husband. Mdm Nooraini had to learn how to care for his daily needs, from managing his catheter every two hours to assisting him with his mobility. Mr Wong also lost the ability to perspire, and the couple learned how to spot signs that indicated his body was overheating and needing to cool down quickly.
“The first few months were the hardest,” said the 41-year-old, “there were moments when I felt exhausted and dropped the ball. But I knew I had to be strong for him and our daughter.”
Mdm Nooraini knew something had to change. After he was discharged from the hospital, Mr Wong attended therapy sessions at SPD’s Transition to Employment programme. She reached out to the social workers at SPD and found out that there were sports that Mr Wong could participate in.
Mr Wong was introduced to wheelchair rugby, where he met wheelchair users with different disabilities. All of them had varying degrees of disability, yet their passion and drive for the sport were the same. “At first, I was quite resistant to the idea. But when I saw there were other wheelchair users, and even those with more heartbreaking stories than me, I felt that I was not alone. The sport gave me a sense of purpose,” he said.
Wheelchair rugby became more than just a sport. With each training session, he grew stronger, more determined, and more confident. Mr Wong’s dedication was evident when he received his team jersey after three sessions. That moment made him feel like he truly belonged.
Building a Future Together
Despite the obstacles, the couple admits that they are now able to spend quality time together, something they did not do as much before the incident. Back when he was a taxi driver, Mr Wong would leave for work early in the morning, return for a quick lunch before heading out to work again. Mdm Nooraini would only get to see him through pockets of time in the day. Now, they are inseparable, as they attend therapy sessions, have meals, and support each other in their individual pursuits together.
“There is always a way forward. Life does not stop just because you face challenges. With the right support, everything will be okay,” said Mr Wong, looking at lovingly at Mdm Nooraini.
Mdm Nooraini, on the other hand, is learning to find a balance between self-care and caregiving. She has made new friends who are caregivers as well – a much-needed support group for her to rely on when times get hard. “I’m thankful that we pulled through, no matter what the future holds, we will face it together,” smiled Mdm Nooraini.
