JOHOR BARU: The thing that anyone will notice about Har Li Jun upon meeting the teenager for the first time is her cheerful demeanour.
The 18-year-old’s smile lights up a room whenever visitors approach her at the assisted-living centre where she stays in Kampung Melayu Majidee here.
Har is paralysed from the neck down, and has been relying on breathing equipment since she suffered from a serious illness two years. She and her family endured many upheavals since then.
Har left her hometown of Bahau, Negri Sembilan to look for work in Johor Baru in 2017. After obtaining work at a pet shop, she began experiencing severe bouts of pain in her shoulders.
Despite going to a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner for treatment, her pain persisted.
She was admitted to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in December 2017 where she was diagnosed with Intradural Extramedullary Benign Fregut Cyst and underwent a surgery to remove the mass.
The illness left Har paralysed from the neck down and needing a ventilator to breathe.
She was warded at the hospital until April last year when it was decided that she had to find a more permanent place to live.
That is when her plight was referred to Yayasan Kebajikan Suria Kawasan Permas Johor Baru secretary James Ho, who agreed to help cover the expenses for Har's care.
"Her mother works as a promoter in Bahau and she has three other sons. That is why we agreed to help her with Har's expenses.
"Initially, Har's mother wanted to move her to a care home in Bahau but we could not find a suitable home there.
Then we found MK Eldercare Centre in Kampung Melayu Majidee, which agreed to take her in," said Ho.
He said besides covering her fees, medicine and treatments, which includes weekly physiotherapy sessions, the foundation bought a ventilator for Har.
"In total, we spend about RM4,200 a month for Har, including the expenses for Har's mother to visit her every week.”
He said that despite her condition, Har has a very positive outlook on life and is always smiling.
"She has developed a very good relationship with her caretaker Trista Tan, who is the owner of the home.
Although she could no longer speak, she somehow can communicate with Trista, who is a trained nurse," said Ho.
During Chinese New Year last month, the foundation rented an ambulance for Har to return to Bahau to celebrate with her family. She spent two weeks with her family.
"She has developed a very good relationship with her caretaker Trista Tan, who is the owner of the home. Although she could no longer speak, she somehow can communicate with Trista, who is a trained nurse."
In addition to the monthly expenses, the foundation also takes her for outings to break the monotony of living at the home and to keep her spirits high.
Har also communicates with her family using a smart phone.
"She is quite adept at using the smart phone, controlling it with a pen with her mouth."
Ho said that Har was among many people which the foundation helped through the years.
"Since the foundation was formed in 2012, we have undertaken various charity programmes, including providing spectacles to underprivileged students, providing financial aid for sick and disabled people.
"In total, the foundation needs about RM20,000 a month to fund these programmes,” said Ho, who is a retired as a general manager in a plantation company three years ago to focus on chairty work full time.
Those who wish to contribute to Har could do so through Yayasan Kebajikan Suria Kawasan Permas Johor Baru’s Hong Leong Bank account (047-000-297-65).