Brain injury survivor Takalah Tan now serves as frontliner at Tzu Chi clinic

Despite his brush with death years ago, "fear" is not a word traumatic brain injury survivor Takalah Tan would use to describe his feelings towards it.

"I'm not afraid of experiencing death again. In life, there's plenty of things that are not certain," he told Shin Min Daily in a recent interview.

He said this in relation to his new role as a frontline worker at the Tzu Chi Lakeside Family Medicine Clinic where he is helping to attend to patients.

The 51-year-old had been working as a physiotherapy assistant at Tzu Chi's senior day activity centre before activities were suspended due to the circuit breaker.

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As with every other healthcare worker, being on the frontlines could mean an unexpected counter with the deadly coronavirus.

However, Tan is willing to continue serving on the frontlines, explaining that the "society is not made up of just one person. Every action one takes can impact their family, friends and society."

He also hopes that everyone would strive to do their best and contribute to the society during this difficult time.

Tan's tenacity and optimism is nothing new. After all, his name "Takalah" means "can't lose" in Malay.

In 1994, he picked up the pieces of his life after a near-fatal accident left him with half a brain, facial disfigurement and amnesia among other injuries, right when he was at the prime of his life.

Despite losing his father and battling suicidal ideation throughout his recovery, Tan pushed through. Just half a year after the accident, he began working again, ultimately becoming a therapy assistant for the elderly and also helping others with brain injuries.

His compelling life story has since become chicken soup for the soul, and even one of Singapore's golden tweets of 2019.

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rainercheung@asiaone.com

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