The day of the home visit was a “Great Heat Day” (one of the 24 Solar Terms in Chinese Calendar). Suzanne and her co-workers went to Sha Kok Estate in Sha Tin to visit Ms. Yu Yuek-kuen (Moon), a stroke rehabilitation patient. After dragging their luggage filled with service supplies, they were still chatting and laughing, and together with our interview team of seven, we silently stepped into Moon’s warm little home.
When we entered the door, Moon’s cat walked leisurely through everyone’s feet and greeted us calmly, making everyone laugh. In addition to this “cat family member”, Moon also lives with her son and daughter-in-law. Moon, 66 years old, suffered a stroke last year and found that her entire right hand was stiff. Shee has been unable to perform daily activities such as brushing her teeth and turning on the water pipe since then. “One day when I came home after going out on the street, my family said that I couldn’t speak clearly and react slowly. The next day when I woke up and went to the toilet, my hands suddenly moved in slow motion. I was a hothead, but I couldn’t turn the water pipe, so I told my son : I might be having a stroke.”
Due to his heavy workload, Moon’s son was unable to take care of Moon regularly. Luckily his wife’s is devoting on helping Moon’s rehabilitation, she contacted Prince of Wales Hospital in Shatin, and Moon met Professor Suzanne LO and accepted the door-to-door massage service from her social enterprise “Hayley Hand Care”. “After the stroke, my hands and shoulders were very tight and heavy. After the massage, they would relax first and I could spread my fingers. I tried massaging myself, but there were always some movements that I couldn’t do, so I had to rely on their help. “The service content also includes patients performing different rehabilitation actions through virtual reality (VR). “For example, cutting vegetables, twisting, and lifting handles. It felt so good to try VR for the first time. The massage helper helped me put on the tools, and then massaged me. She was so gentle. She explained and taught me how to press.”
Still giggling after a stroke?
It is inevitable to be depressed when you are sick. As a Christian, Moon chooses to face it optimistically: “There were neighbors who came to visit me in the hospital. They asked, why do you still smile so much after you had a stroke? Maybe it’s because I’m stupid! I also cry, but… Emotional matters, forget it, God will have a plan.
“In the past, Moon used her right hand to operate like most people. After constant adjustments after the stroke, Moon can now cook, open doors, and answer the phone with her left hand. Dealing with daily affairs, her current hope is to be able to move freely, return to the church, and bear witness for the Lord.
This positivity not only brings a good state of stable blood pressure, but also brings good luck in getting to know peers. The social enterprise “Hayley Hand Care” launched the ” Caring Hand Spa ” program to recruit volunteers. The target group “golden-agers” are mostly middle-aged and retired people. One of the participants, Ms. Feng Liangrong (Lisa), moved many peers with her enthusiasm.
Lisa is the district leader of the New Territories North District of The Hong Kong Stroke Association (a mutual aid society for stroke patients and their families). When faced with difficulties in life, she chose to face them bravely, slowly getting out of the predicament and finding the motivation to be happy.
“I am a passer-by. I had a stroke 7 years ago and was forced to retire in my 50s. I can’t move my right hand and I still can’t hold a pen to write. But it doesn’t matter. God led me to meet Professor LO.” Lisa was in a coma for 6 hours in the emergency room. After the stroke, she was severely affected physically and mentally. She relied on her faith to get through the difficulties.
During the program, she learned massage techniques from a Chinese medicine practitioner. Once she mastered the skills, she would massage stroke patients as arranged. “When watching TV on weekdays, you can gently massage different acupuncture points on your hands, which is very helpful to relieve stress. If you can’t do big movements, you can do small movements. Don’t worry, we will learn slowly, and there will always be hope for survival. If I can do it so can you!”
Lisa carefully demonstrated how to massage to Moon. Her voice was firm and powerful, and she became more and more excited as she spoke.
Lisa and Moon are grateful to Suzanne’s support
On the road to stroke rehabilitation, Lisa was grateful to Suzanne for giving her great confidence: “This massage technique is easy to learn and remember. I hope to use what I have learned to help people in need. I hope that Professor LO’s social enterprise will be carried forward and more people will benefit.”
Moon usually calls Suzanne “Miss LO”, but on the day of the interview, she learned that Suzanne is a professor, which shows that Suzanne is an easy-going person, with no airs and graces. At the end of the interview,Moon couldn’t help but express her feelings: “I really want to thank you so much for teaching me rehabilitation exercises. You came to visit me yesterday and today. I hope I can continue to receive services.”
Text: Alice Fong@ORKTS
