Success Stories

Nor Zaidah Ab Rahman, 42, became handicapped after a road accident in 2010 but was determined not to let the disability defeat her.

“WHILE I cannot do things that many people can do, it is not an excuse … my dream is to have my own design studio and to become an entrepreneur. It’s easy to say, and not impossible to make it happen. One thing is certain, I have to work harder than everyone else.”

These are the words of Ainaa Farhannah, 22, who has Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which progressively affects her muscle control. While she struggles with simple tasks many of us take for granted, Ainaa is not hampered by what she cannot do — instead she fights harder than anyone else, for her right to a full life.

They say love is blind. And in the case of Norazliza Mohd Resident, she has gone through various ups and downs and made plenty of sacrifices to marry Mohammad Syukrie Sahmad, who is visually-impaired.

Norazliza, 38, says, their journey towards building a life together has not always been easy.

If you ever need a role model, then national wheelchair tennis player Abu Samah Borhan is your man. The 32-year-old is the epitome of determination and perseverance, having come to terms with a spinal injury that left him paralysed from the waist down 11 years ago.

Unicef launched a study on the perceptions and attitudes towards childhood disability among Malaysians, which reveals a strong discrimination against the disabled.

A cancer survivor was determined to walk on stage to receive her graduation scroll in Kota Kinabalu on Sunday – even if she had to do it on crutches and with a splint cast on her leg.

So when Rohany Gabi slowly took to the stage at the 19th Universiti Sabah Malaysia (UMS) convocation, the auditorium, filled with her fellow graduates and academicians, burst into applause and cheers.

A one-legged footballer has captured the hearts of millions of Chinese fans after a widely circulated video showed him holding his own against able-bodied opponents and scoring a rasping right-footed drive.

The exploits of 21-year-old He Yiyi, who lost his leg to childhood cancer and uses crutches to support himself when playing, have earned him several endearing nicknames including “Angel with Broken Wings”, “Ball King with One Leg” and “Magic Boy”.

Shane Burcaw has heard them all. “What’s wrong with you?” “Why is your head so much bigger than the rest of your body?” “Do people ever make fun of you?”

Mohd Yahya Hairdrus may be wheelchair-bound but this has not stopped him from reaching out to others with physical disabilities. To prove that nothing is impossible, the 40-year-old has set up a centre for disabled children in Taman Johor Jaya.

Undoubtedly, her inborn condition has been preparing Amanda Patamakanthin, now 21-year-old alum of The One Academy of Communication Design, for reality as we all know it: gritty and complex.