Against the odds
Jeremy with his mother, Madam Wong
Jeremy Lim's journey at NUS culminated with a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese Studies, which he received on 13 July, but getting there had required some fortitude. Leading a normal life attending tutorials, holding philosophical discourses with friends and going for movies has not always been within reach. Yet, the former young ambassador of the National Kidney Foundation's Children's Medical Foundation has achieved another milestone, with a little help.
The anime enthusiast was born with a congenital bone disorder, which affects one in some 20,000 births. Osteogenesis Imperfecta or brittle bone disease has left him wheelchair-bound. As a child, opening a box of toys or turning around in his sleep would cause a fracture, but an experimental drug he took for 13 years has strengthened his bones. Jeremy has not broken a bone in the last five years, and even though he has stopped taking the medication, his physicians continue to closely monitor his bone density in case it falls below the required range.
Prior to NUS, Jeremy, like many his age, did not enjoy studying. His mother, Madam Wong Liang Ming said Jeremy used to give her "heart attacks in the run-up to exams. He, however, made a U-turn in university, where he was permitted to pursue his passion for Japanese culture.
One of the highlights of Jeremy's time at NUS was winning the 2013 Japanese Speech Contest organised by The Japanese Association, Singapore. With the help of Dr Izumi Walker from the Centre of Language Studies at NUS, Jeremy penned and delivered a compelling oration about his fascination with Japan that earned him a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun that same year.
"Jeremy was extremely motivated and bright from the beginning but with his great efforts and good understanding of our language-learning philosophy ' how to learn language most effectively and efficiently to acquire native-like ability ' he excelled in his learning to the very highest level, said Dr Walker.
Getting up close to Mount Fuji, thanks to a trip he earned as the winner of the 2013 Japanese Speech Contest
The Japanese major said the University had facilitated many facets of his education, for which he is grateful for. The locations of his lessons could be arranged such that Madam Wong, who drove him to class, would not have to rush from one end of campus to another. If he missed a class, his professors would set up one-on-one lessons for him, which he jokingly said motivated him not to skip classes.
Although NUS accommodated Jeremy in many ways, he was expected to hold his own, academically.
"One of the things I'm really grateful to NUS for is that they didn't help me in terms of the academic experience, they didn't make any concessions for me, they didn't make it easy. They allowed me to really grow and face all the challenges that any other student would face. It made me feel very much a part of the University, he explained.
Jeremy will be taking a year off to study for the highest level of the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test. After that, he may take up a master's degree in Japanese Studies or perhaps, become a translator for the media industry.
Regardless of which path he takes, Jeremy's mother, head coach of Singapore's national taekwondo team, will be by his side. When he was at NUS, she not only drove him around, but also dropped off meals when he was pressed for time. She sees herself as a homemaker, albeit one who coaches part-time.
"It is my privilege to be his mom. We, my husband and I, have been with him throughout his journey to where he is now today. We have seen what he's gone through. We're exceptionally proud of his achievements, she said.
