Kelvin's Story

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡—𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞.
In 2012, at the height of his thriving real estate career, 33-year-old Kelvin Leong suffered a stroke. “I never thought this would happen to me,” he recalls. “One moment, I was meeting a client; the next, I was paralysed in a hospital bed.” On February 11, twelve years ago, Kelvin ignored early signs, such as dizziness and excessive perspiration, to keep the client appointment.

However, his colleague noticed something was amiss. “She pinched my arm, and I couldn’t feel a thing. That’s when I knew something was wrong.” Thankfully, the client’s wife, a nurse, immediately called for help.

Diagnosed with a severe brain haemorrhage and stroke, Kelvin woke up to find himself paralysed on his left side. He spent 15 months working tirelessly to regain his independence, though he never fully recovered the use of his left arm.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞
The early days of recovery were tough, but as friends and even former clients visited, Kelvin realised his life had made a meaningful impact. "Paths that had long diverged came back to me," he reflected. "I hadn’t just lived a decent life—I had made connections." Despite the support, his confidence wavered.

When he first went to a coffee shop in a wheelchair, the stares made him uncomfortable. "I didn’t want to be seen like that," he admitted.

During those tough early days, Kelvin found strength in seeing his dad and uncle cry at his bedside. “Seeing those men—my rock—break down, it flipped a switch in me,” he said. “I realised I couldn’t give in to self-pity. I had to get better. I needed to be independent again.”

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐕𝐮𝐣𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐜
A turning point came when Kelvin attended a church event in Singapore where Nick Vujicic, born without arms and legs, spoke about living life to the fullest—skydiving, swimming, and defying expectations. "Seeing him, I realised my challenges weren’t physical; they were about how others perceived me," Kelvin said.

"If he could do all that, surely I could smile back at people who stared at me." Embracing this new mindset, Kelvin returned to the coffee shop, no longer shying away from the stares. Instead, he smiled back. Slowly, those glances turned into conversations, and when he started walking again, the crowd cheered. "It made me feel like I wasn’t just recovering for myself—I was showing others that recovery was possible, no matter how impossible it seemed."

𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 – 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Returning to work was a pivotal step in Kelvin’s recovery. Initially, his mobility was unstable, but clients and co-broke agents were understanding and patient. As his physical abilities improved, he pushed beyond his limits. Joining OrangeTee, Kelvin focused on resale. Starting from ground zero, he rebuilt his career at his own pace and slowly started branching out.

But his goal was larger than personal success. “I want to build a team of stroke survivors,” he said. “We can do sales, pass our RES exams, and succeed, on our own time.” While younger survivors were receptive, Kelvin noticed their hesitation to take action. "It's about showing them it’s possible, doing it together."

𝐉𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐍𝐒𝐀 – 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞
Kelvin’s renewed outlook on relationships led him to the Singapore National Stroke Association (SNSA). Invited by a fellow survivor, he saw the power of community in SNSA’s activities, which focus on rebuilding lives through arts, low-impact workouts, and outings. "It’s where we rebuild confidence, find joy, and share our stories," Kelvin shared.

As the current vice president of SNSA, Kelvin found purpose, advocating for others facing similar struggles. "At SNSA, we understand what it means to lose everything—and what it takes to get back up," he said, emphasising the importance of community in reclaiming life after a stroke.

𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐬 – 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞
Don’t just survive—choose to live, to be seen, and to be proud of how far you’ve come.” For Kelvin, the journey may be challenging, but he sees setbacks as opportunities to build resilience.

“Independence means knowing when to reach out for help and finding your own path forward,” he shares.

“You can have $10,000 in the bank, but without your health, it means nothing. How many people get a second chance?” Kelvin is living proof that there is life after a stroke. “We don’t just survive a stroke—we overcome it.”

Kelvin’s inspiring outlook reminds us all that resilience and determination can lead to a truly fulfilling second chance at life.