“The accident was a blessing in disguise.” These are the words of Muhammad Afiq Bin Abdul Manaf, who lost his arm in an accident.
On 1 October 2010, Afiq and his family thought that it was another regular night in their parent’s minivan – they were on their way to fetch one of their siblings. However, it turned into a night that would be forever engrained in their minds.
It was not because it was still the festive Hari Raya season, but because of an accident that happened which forever changed one of their lives.
Their vehicle lost control along the Seletar Expressway, just minutes before reaching home. The minivan overturned and flipped numerous times along the road, before landing on its side.
Nightmare Turned Into Reality
Afiq, who sat on the front seat beside his mother, could not feel his left arm when their vehicle came to a halt. He then asked his younger brother, Muhammad Asyraf, if his arm was still attached. Their mother was stuck in her seat without any way of getting herself out.
Other drivers came to their rescue while they were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. They managed to pull Asyraf out but Afiq and his mother were still stuck in the vehicle.
He then heard something which he wished was not real – one of the motorists commented that one of his arms was missing.
“I was hoping that this was a nightmare and that I will be able to wake up to see that everything is fine. But, I couldn’t wake up – this is real.”
They were all rushed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) immediately for recovery. While both Asyraf his mother received outpatient treatment for their injuries, Afiq was severely injured from the incident. His flesh had ripped and his bones were crushed, leaving his left arm exposed.
Unfortunately, a lack of necessary equipment meant that Afiq had to be transferred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for the surgery. The doctors there also tried to save his arm over the next few weeks.
Tough Decision
It was on October 16 when they finally lost their battle to save his arm. Symptoms of gangrene started to show on his hands, and the doctors informed his family that it would be nearly impossible to keep his limb. They needed to make the decision quick before the infection spreaded to other parts of his body.
“I did not know what to do; I was crying by the wall. His younger brother was blaming himself, slamming his hands on the table. I was depressed,” said his mother.
It was up to Afiq to decide, and he chose to amputate his left arm.
“I cried for a long time on the hospital bed, alone. Then I told myself, I would rather lose my arm than risk losing my life, I am still young, and I have a long way ahead.”
En Route To Recovery
Upon discharge, Afiq resumed his daily activities with positivity that surprised his family. He even attended his friend’s wedding within a few hours of his discharge from the hospital.
He went on to complete his NITEC in Electrical Engineering with the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) after the accident. Upon completion, he realised that he could no longer pursue his Engineering career due to his condition. Afiq then decided to take up the Social Media and Web Development course in NITEC.
As optimistic as Afiq was, he was feeling down when he faced a tough time finding a job upon graduation. He sent over 400 job applications, but had a low response rate due to his condition.
There were even a few instances where he was rejected immediately after the employers saw his physical condition – despite him noting it down on his resume. After a year of trying to find a job, Afiq finally managed to find one who accepted him for who he was.
Standing Tall
Today, he’s a Reservations and Ticketing Officer with Resorts World Sentosa.
“I knew that I found the right company when the spokesperson told everyone during the induction that I would not be given a lighter workload just because of my condition, and instead have the same as everyone else. I was treated as a normal person despite my disabilities.”
Having been with the company for over two years, Afiq has proven that his condition does not affect his work. Over the course of his career, he had earned several awards in recognition for his service.
Most recently, Afiq received the Silver Award in the Excellent Service Award 2016 given by the Singapore Hotel Association and Excellence Service Award Committee.
As of now, Afiq is looking forward to new challenges and further career advancement, and he has no intentions of letting his condition stop him.
“Sometimes our disabilities are our greatest abilities.”
We would like to thank Mr Kent Lim for his contribution to this article.
