Help Eddy To Fund For His Hearing Aid

Eddy Chong is 51 years, deaf and blind since 32, was a successful engineer until he lost his hearing and vision due to severe dengue fever. Soon after, he lost his job and his family as well. Help Eddy to replace his damaged hearing aid. Eddy works as a tour guide, organizing trips around Asia for the blind. Eddy is also the President of Blind Empowerment Society of Selangor, a society to empower the blind to "get out of the dark". He needs the hearing aid to sustain his livelihood which is unaffordable. Read all about Eddy below.

"Over The Hills & Valleys" a story by Eddy Chong

I WAS 32 and at the peak of my career as an engineer with a Kuala Lumpur-based construction firm when a deadly bout of dengue hemorrhagic fever changed my life drastically. My colleague, Mr. T, contracted dengue fever about the same time as me. Unfortunately, he developed complications and succumbed to dengue shock syndrome. I almost lost my life, too. I had high fever which stretched over two weeks. I suffered severe vomiting and internal bleeding and was hospitalized for about a month. There were other complications. Due to the high fever, the cone cells or photoreceptor cells in the retina were affected, resulting in loss of vision. The cochlear hair cells in my ears were also damaged by the raging fever; it left me with hearing impairment in BOTH ears. I can still remember what the doctor told me:
“Eddy, you have to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.” I cried when I heard those words.
I recovered after months of recuperation. In fact, it was one whole year before I could get on my feet again. However, I was unable to return to work due to severe vision loss and hearing impairment. It was a devastating blow for me. I had lost my job which I loved so much. How was I to support my family? My wife of two years was expecting our first child at that time. I approached more than 80 companies for job interviews but none was successful. I even tried to find work as a general cleaner and was willing to accept a low pay, but nobody wanted to take me in.

There was one particular incident which remains etched in my memory. One day, I found work as a dishwasher at a coffeeshop near my house, but it didn’t last more than an hour. Some customers ticked off my ladyboss. “How could you hire a blind man to work in your shop? You should just provide him with some food or meals,” they chided her. My boss felt really embarrassed and I was relieved of my duties. I felt so useless. No matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to turn out right. I was saddened by how some people view the disabled. I wasn’t asking for handouts. I was more than willing to work to support my family.

My wife gave birth to a baby girl who brought much joy to our home. Eventually I found work as a masseur in a massage centre in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. Life was hard. I had two to three customers a week. I could barely earn enough to support my family. There was one day when I waited until midnight for a customer to drop by, but I was to be disappointed. I had only 40 sens in my pocket. How was I to go home? I headed to the nearest bus stop with my white cane.In the stillness of the night, dark thoughts played in my head and all the hurts and unfairness of life came crashing down on me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I ploughed on. “Why me?” I asked God. “I can’t bear this hardship. I just want to work and feed my family, but here I am, with barely enough to feed myself.” It was about 3 in the morning when a taxi pulled up in front of the bus stop where I sat. “Why are you crying? Did something happen to you?” enquired the kindly cabbie. I told him that I had no money to go home. He sent me to my home in Puchong and did not charge me a sen.

The next few years were a big struggle for my young family, financially. The strain affected my marriage and eventually my wife left me and took our little daughter with her. I waited for months for my wife to return home. All hope was gone when she eventually filed for divorce as I could no longer provide for the family. I was at the lowest point of my life. I had lost my sight, my hearing, my job, and now, my family. I was overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness. I felt
like the last ray of light had gone out of my life.

Many dark days followed and depression set in. I was plaqued by suicidal thoughts. I remember the days when I wondered around the neighbourhood, aimlessly. I had nothing left. Nothing to live for.
I was angry with myself, and with the world at large. But God is never too far away, and soon enough, he sent a friend my way whom gave me lots of encouragements. Today, 14 years after the dengue fever that robbed me of my health, I have found a new purpose in life – by helping others. I lead and guide the blind and deaf on trips to various hospitals, clinics, government offices, banks, airports and even hotels. I can travel independently anywhere and have no problems taking public transport, be it buses, the LRT or monorail.

I love to travel and explore new places. I have organised tours for the blind to neighbouring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore. I have also led tours for the blind that cover the length and breadth of the country, from Langkawi in the north to Johor in the South, and even to the East Coast states.