Featured in Malay Mail on 03/08/2011

Chua's brave fightback

Joseph Kaos Jr

Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011 11:32:00

MAN IN A MILLION: Chua still has his modelling skills as seen in this photoshoot — Pic courtesy of leonardchua.blogspot.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Blessed with good looks, a muscular body and a glamorous career as a model when he was 24, Leonard Chua was the envy of his peers.

However, it all came crashing when Chua had a road accident along the Federal Highway in October 2005. The accident left him with a fractured neck and lower ribs, broken right leg, crushed left ankle and damaged bladder.

He was hospitalised for five months following difficulties with his speech and finger movement functions. He also suffered memory loss and was left paralysed waist down. His condition was classified as a "T1 complete high-paraplegic".

“At the time I was frustrated with life. I couldn’t accept my situation,” recalled Malacca-born Chua, now 30, in a webcam interview with The Malay Mail.

“Every time I wanted to say something I was not able to, because my speech was slurred.”
But the steadfast support from his family, especially his mother, gave him the strength to soldier on.
“The power of their love gave me hope and ever since I recovered, I have wanted to help bring cheer to others who suffered like me,” said Chua who, though wheelchair-bound, was nominated as one of Malaysia’s Top 50 Eligible Bachelors by women’s magazine Cleo last year.

Recently, he was shortlisted as one of 30 people who will contend for the 10 Most Outstanding Young Malaysian Award by the Junior Chamber International Malaysia (JCIM) which was founded in 1954 (the Junior Chamber movement originated in the US in 1910).

"My dream is to set up a rehabilitation centre in Malacca with physiotherapy and counselling for those with spinal cord injuries like me, also stroke and brain injury victims," he said.

That dream is almost a reality as Chua was selected one of the 12 beneficiaries of the TLC Promise Me Campaign Season 2 organised by KL-based Truly Loving Company (TLC) and managed by Ernst and Young Advisory Services.

“Ernst and Young will help me come up with a business plan for my centre. We meet on Monday to discuss this,” said Chua.

"The centre will cost RM816,000 (edited figure according to latest business plan) to set up and I hope to find sponsorship for this."


Please click this link here to view the write up at Malay Mail....

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