Cheryl Tan was fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a pastry chef when she started to feel numbness and weakness in her left leg, and then her right leg.
Soon after, she received a life-changing diagnosis – she had multiple sclerosis (MS), an incurable disease that progressively reduced the mobility of the limbs.
Ms Tan found herself having to quit her job, and was turned away from many other opportunities.
Eventually, however, Ms Tan chanced upon the SPD Employment Support Programme, where she found a job coach who introduced her to Tower Transit.
Now, the customer experience and inclusivity officer educates various parties on inclusivity and what persons with disabilities go through when taking public transport.
Before everything changed, the 32-year-old was working as a pastry chef, which was her lifelong dream. She’d always loved cookies and baking treats, so much so that she took a baking course at SHATEC.
Ms Tan then went on to work at several bakeries after graduating.
But in 2015, while working as a pastry chef, Ms Tan began to show symptoms of MS. She mainly suffered from weakness in her legs.
When she started getting backaches, Ms Tan visited the polyclinic where they said it might be a slipped disc.
She was then referred to a specialist, but trouble struck before she could.
“One day, when I got out of the toilet after I bathed, my legs gave out and I couldn’t stand up,” Ms Tan told MS News.
She had to be rushed to the hospital and went through tests, following which her condition was confirmed as MS.
Ms Tan had to take medication to control her flare-ups. This included steroid drips that had to be administered by injection.
“I hate needles so it’s not fun,” she said.
Her condition also affected her hands, which made it impossible for her to continue her job as a pastry chef.
For some time after her diagnosis, Ms Tan despaired and went through a depressive period. She questioned why she had to have such a debilitating condition.
“A lot of things were going on, emotionally and mentally,” she sighed.
A turning point came when Ms Tan visited AMK Hub.
She discovered that there were toilets for people with disabilities, but she needed an SG Enable card – which she did not have.
While visiting the SG Enable website to find out more about how to apply for the card, she found out that they have an employment support group, and signed up for that.
After an interview to assess the type of jobs she could do, Ms Tan was assigned a job coach from SPD Singapore through the Employment Support Programme – one of the programmes funded by the Tote Board Social Service Fund (TBSSF).
The Tote Board Social Service Fund (TBSSF) funded by the Tote Board has committed S$846.4 million to support more than 70 programmes from more than 90 social service agencies to impact the lives of more than 360,000 beneficiaries.
They include vulnerable families, children and youths, the elderly, persons with disabilities and persons with mental health issues.
Concurrently, partnerships with government agencies and organisations further emphasise its reach in serving the community.
Shortly after Ms Tan’s assessment with SPD, the Covid-19 pandemic took place and opportunities were scarce.
But during a conversation with her colleague, her job coach found out about a vacant position at Tower Transit.
Cheryl applied and subsequently landed her current role as a customer experience and inclusivity officer, and the rest was history.
As part of her job, Ms Tan starts her mornings at Mandai Bus Depot doing admin work.
She then helps out with crowd management at Yishun Integrated Transport Hub (ITH) as well as customer enquires.
Besides these, Ms Tan also handles internal comms for staff and educates them about inclusivity, as well as hosting courses.
In the public bus inclusivity course, she teaches members of the public how to help persons with disabilities on public transport.
Another course she does is a public transport confidence course catered for persons with disabilities like herself.
“I had to board from the back [of the bus], had to be positioned awkwardly, and had to manoeuvre myself to put my wheelchair properly,” Ms Tan spoke of her own experience on public transport.
“All this requires time and there’s a psychological effect of causing trouble to others as well as stress,” she added. “The purpose of that course is to help bridge that gap of transition, so they’re more willing to step out of their comfort zone.”
Ms Tan herself wishes there was a course like that for her when she initially had to get around in her wheelchair.
MS News got to observe Ms Tan in action at the Yishun ITH as she went around helping those who appeared to require help.
As it was nearing peak period, the crowd was streaming in.
Regardless, Ms Tan was still able to get around in her wheelchair to manage the peak hour crowd, always serving with a smile.
At one point, she stopped to help an elderly man who needed help figuring out which bus stop to alight at after he boarded his bus.
To aid the man, who was a little hard of hearing, Ms Tan first got another staff member to speak to him. She then wrote a note for him so he’d be able to find his way.
It also appeared that Ms Tan was well-liked, as she exchanged greetings with many other staff members, including bus captains.
While going about her work, Ms Tan has made friends with others who have disabilities.
One of them was so inspired by her that she eventually found a job in the same industry.
“I would say that when they see me in a wheelchair in this industry, they get quite intrigued and find, ‘Oh, if you can work, why can’t I?’”
“It kind of empowers them to get up again and gain some independence.”
Working at Tower Transit has given Ms Tan the freedom to do things she hadn’t done in a while, such as travel overseas. At the same time, she obtained her driving licence last year.
Ms Tan showed that though her diagnosis meant she couldn’t be a pastry chef anymore, there was still a chance to start anew.
Through her resilience and the effort of those around her, Ms Tan found a new purpose in her career and carved out a life for herself.
Speaking to MS News, Ms Tan Su-Yin, Senior Director (Grants) at Tote Board, said, “We are inspired by Cheryl who has overcome her physical challenges to serve in a demanding front-line role.”
“Cheryl is testament that Tote Board-funded initiatives like the SPD Employment Support Programme have the potential to empower people to reach their fullest potential and contribute to society even in the face of setbacks,” she added.
“Knowing that our grantmaking efforts tangibly transform lives inspires us to continue forging partnerships to deliver impactful programmes to build a caring and resilient Singapore.”
The Tote Board Social Service Fund supports critical and strategic social services that uplift communities in need and give individuals a hand up in overcoming challenging situations.
Help is certainly out there for those who may require it. For example, eligible persons with disabilities can apply for Employment Support Services via the SPD here.
Know an inspirational figure you’d like us to feature? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image by MS News. Photography by Shawn.
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