Peter Tan writes column for Borneo Post.
Image courtesy of Phyllis Wong.

Disabilities issues advocate writes column for BP
Posted on February 16, 2013, Saturday

Peter Tan
KUCHING: Disabilities issues advocate Peter Tan will begin writing a weekly column for The Borneo Post from today.

Titled ‘Breaking Barriers’, Tan will share his experiences of having sustained a spinal cord injury at the age of 18 and life since.

He will also use the column to educate readers on disability issues as well as advocating for the rights of the disabled.

Tan has a blog called ‘The Digital Awakening’ at www.petertan.com and facilitates as a senior disability equality training (DET) trainer through public seminars and workshops.

The training seeks to transform society’s entrenched attitudes and misconceptions about people with disabilities (PWDs) towards a more inclusive community for all.

This includes promoting disability as an equal opportunity issue, examining the barriers faced by disabled people in society, questioning stereotypes, myths and misconceptions about disability, promoting effective communication between disabled people and non-disabled people and promoting positive change both in policy and practice.

During a seminar in Kuching last year, Tan told participants from non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private sector and government agencies that PWDs are created when people with impairments experience disabling factors in society or the environment they live in.

While recognising the importance of rehabilitation for PWDs, Tan believes that it is ultimately more beneficial for society as a whole to remove physical, mental, attitudinal and environmental barriers and empower PWDs to participate fully as active, productive and equal members of society.

Born in Penang, Tan has travelled around Malaysia and to Japan and Thailand for training as a peer counsellor for the Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities.

This project is supported by the Welfare Department and Japan International Cooperation Agency to empower severely disabled persons to live independently in the community through self-respect, self-determination and social reformation.

In 2007, he was a speaker at the 7th World Assembly of Disabled Peoples’ International and Global Summit on Independent Living in Seoul, South Korea.

Tan currently resides in Kuala Lumpur with his loving wife and their pampered cats.

He is also a passionate amateur photographer and food aficionado.

Read the first ‘Breaking Barriers’ column on Page 9.

Link to the article: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/02/16/disabilities-issues-advocate-writes-column-for-bp/

Fei Por came to us one day in 2007 and had never left since. She had two litters while she was here. Her first was a white kitten we christened Arbie after a cartoon character. He was fluffy and had blue eyes. One day, he just disappeared.

Her second litter had three kittens, Frosty, Patches and Milo. Milo was ran over by a vehicle. Frosty went out and never returned. We had Fei Por and Patches neutered. One day, Wuan found Patches dead just outside the house.

(clockwise) Fei Por with Milo, Frosty and Patches.

It took Fei Por a long time to overcome the grief of losing her kittens. She would call out to them and sniff around the nooks and crannies that they liked to play in. We grieved along with her as we were very fond of the kittens too.

A few months after that, on one of our trips to Ipoh, Wuan was enamoured by a little white kitten that licked her fingers at the vet’s where Fei Por was boarded. Fei Por licked him all over when Wuan put them together. With that tacit approval, we adopted him. Wuan named him Cheeky for his fondness of nipping at our fingers and toes.

Fei Por looked after him like he is one of her own. She groomed him and watched over him all the time. They played together and napped together. In his adulthood, they would groom each other. They were really that close.

Fei Por and Cheeky

Fei Por did not like to stay indoors. We let her live outside. In the afternoons, Cheeky would be by the door playing with Fei Por who would be sitting just outside. The few times that she came in, we could see the joy in Cheeky’s antics.

Late last year, Wuan noticed that Fei Por was getting on with age. She let her in the house. Fei Por was perfectly contented and never asked to be let out like she did previously. She spent most of her time sleeping, mostly on the floor of the en suite bathroom.

Fei Por

Fei Por was not well after we took her back from boarding for the duration we were in Ipoh during the Chinese New Year holidays. She puked a few times but we thought it was just a minor ailment or she caught from the other cats or stress she experienced at the boarding place.

She became restless on Thursday and kept climbing onto the window. I asked Wuan to let her out. Unfortunately, it rained very heavily that day. I got worried and kept calling out to her but she did not return. She came back early the next morning as Wuan was getting ready for work. Wuan was in the kitchen when Cheeky went to her and got her to follow him. He lead her to the main door.

Fei Por was crouched outside. Her fur was all bedraggled. She looked tired. We planned to take her to the vet when Wuan got back from work that evening. However, Wuan was tied up in the office and got back very late. We finally managed to take her to the vet on Saturday.

Although the vet said that she was in a very bad shape and may not pull through, we were hopeful that she would. When the vet called at 1.43pm just now to say that she had died, I was devastated. I wept balefully at the loss. When I called Wuan to inform her of the sad new, I could not hold back my emotions and bawled again. I have never been this sad for a long time, not since my mother passed away.

Rest in peace, Fei Por. I am sorry we could not be by your side when you breathed your last. You are family. You will always hold that special place in our hearts. Enjoy your time at the Rainbow Bridge. We shall come for you when our time here is up and we shall cross that bridge together.

RAINBOW BRIDGE

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together….

Author unknown

We got a call from this hospital this morning. The veterinarian said that Fei Por had stopped breathing but was revived. She was on a ventilator and that she was in a bad shape. Even before the vet could finish, I cut in to say we would be there immediately.

It was a long journey. Many thoughts were running in our minds. Would Fei Por be still alive when we reached there?

At the hospital, Wuan went to see Fei Por first. She came back telling me that Fei Por was still alive. That was a great relief. Still, I wanted to see her for myself.

The moment I entered the room, I could not contain my emotions and started crying. She was lying on the table with an oxygen mask on her face. A intravenous drip was running into her right front leg. She was such a sorry sight.

Wuan caressed her. She was not very responsive but we know she could hear us. We talked gently to her like we always did at home while waiting for the vet.

The prognosis was not good. Her blood test results showed that she was badly dehydrated and that she may have kidney failure. Another blood test will be done a few days later to confirm her kidney problems of she survives. She was stable at the moment and the vet took her off the oxygen.

Fei Por had come with a kitten one day in 2007 and has stayed on since. She had two more litters but none of her offsprings survived. We had her neutered after her last litter. We cannot be sure how old she is now but estimate her to be at least 8 years old.

We had tried to bring her into the house but she never liked it. After a few days inside, she would sit by the door and asked to be let out.

When we adopted Cheeky in 2008, Fei Por took it upon herself to look after him. She would groom him at every available opportunity. Cheeky got very attached to her. He would sleep beside her whenever she was inside the house.

Sometime late last year, Wuan noticed that Fei Por was getting old and decided to get her live in the house again. This time, she came in and never asked to be let out. She seemed happy then.

When we took the cats back from boarding on Tuesday, we noticed that they had no appetite. Fei Por vomitted several times. We let them be because we thought that it was from the stress of being boarded with other cats.

Fei Por became restless on Thursday. She kept climbing onto the window. I asked Wuan to let her out. Unfortunately, it rained very heavily that day. I got worried and kept calling out to her but she did not return.

She came back early the next morning as Wuan was getting ready for work. Wuan was in the kitchen when Cheeky went to her and got her to follow him. He lead her to the main door.

Fei Por was crouched outside. Her fur was all bedraggled. She looked tired. We planned to take her to the vet when Wuan got back from work that evening. However, Wuan was tied up in the office and got back very late.

We finally managed to take her to the vet yesterday morning. The vet said that she was badly dehydrated and was not sure if she could pull through.

We hope she will. We pray she will. Cheeky has been missing her since. We are missing her too.

Get well soon, old lady! We are all rooting for you.