The art of survival
Disabled brothers Shalom and Isaac Lim are more than just talented artists. They are fighters and survivors, too
By Wong Kim Hoh
A LIFE LESS ORDINARY
IT IS a cosy home. Bright sunny porch, a nice verdant garden at the back. Inside the terrace house off
The artists are Isaac and Shalom Lim who, between them, have won several art competitions and sold about 25 paintings. One of these - a 40 x 50cm abstract painting bursting with vivid colours - hangs on the walls of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's office.
The brothers - aged 14 and 10 - are more than just talented painters. They are fighters and overcomers.
Both have Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a hereditary disease which afflicts an estimated 1 in 3,500 boys worldwide. It is characterised by rapidly progressive muscle weakness which starts in the legs and pelvis and later affects the whole body.
Both are wheelchair-bound: Isaac since he was 11, and Shalom since he was seven.
Isaac, who is also autistic, is now a student at the
Their parents are Dr
The couple have a 16-year-old daughter, Jane, who is now in
Despite their disabilities, the two brothers possess sunny dispositions and an affecting amiability.
Isaac, says his mother, is a serene and good-natured teenager. He sits quietly, often wearing a dreamy look and, at times, a shy smile.
Shalom, on the other hand, is cheerful and chatty. Last year, he lobbied - with his mother - to have a ramp built in his school so that he can access the school hall on the second level.
To help raise funds for the ramp - which cost $13,000 - he sold three of his paintings, each for $1,000, to budget airline Valuair.
'They have given us so much love, they are our inspiration. They accept their condition and it seems as though their whole purpose in life is to make us laugh and make us happy,' says Mrs Lim, in her 40s, looking very fondly at Shalom.
She hasn't always been this accepting of her sons' condition.
'It took us a long time before we could talk about it,' she says.
'To say that we went through a very difficult time is putting it very mildly. I can't even begin to tell you how hard it has been, it's something you carry in your heart all the time.'
She says she and her husband draw strength from God, but adds laughingly: 'Sigh, it's harder when you're Christians because you think God would have been kinder. But I guess we all go through a lot in life.'
The couple suspected something was amiss with Isaac only when he started walking at 23 months.
The devastating news that he had muscular dystrophy was compounded when they discovered he was autistic when he was about six.
'He was beautiful-looking, a very normal although very quiet baby. He was, and still is, very good-natured and obedient. He doesn't throw tantrums. But we noticed that he wasn't talking, and that he avoided eye contact, which is a sign of autism.'
Local experts were hesitant to diagnose him as autistic because he seemed so normal, so the couple took him to
'We needed to know so that we can know what course of action to take,' says Mrs Lim.
There, Isaac was subjected to very vigorous tests over two days. He was diagnosed as a high-functioning autistic.
Thanks to vigorous therapy and schooling - in kindergarten and at home - Isaac learnt his ABCs.
Mrs Lim says: 'He can spell and write words and is good in maths. He can even play the piano. He has won medals in swimming competitions.'
Although he cannot engage in a full conversation, he knows how to ask for things, including music.
'He loves Mozart and Gregorian chants. He once sang a song for me on the piano, and after he did it, he cried,' she says.
Not surprisingly, the couple were cautious about having another child. They decided to have Shalom after being assured by experts - who put them through stringent tests - that the baby would be normal.
Alas, it was not to be. Shalom's muscles started wasting away; he had to get used to life on a motorised wheelchair before he turned eight.
The Lims discovered their children's gift for painting when they engaged an art teacher for Isaac in April 2002.
Under the tutelage of Mr Ng Geok Seng, his progress was remarkable. In August that same year, his entry to an art competition with The Disabled People's Association emerged one of the 10 winners.
He has since won a string of prizes. In September last year, he clinched first prize in the youth category of the VSA (Very Special Arts) Art Competition for Children and Youths with Special Needs.
The work, entitled Seed Of Peace, now hangs in the Prime Minister's office, thanks to a request by Mr Lee's wife, Ms Ho Ching.
Mr Ng, 38, who specialises in teaching art to children with special needs, says: 'What is really inspiring about Isaac is his perseverance. He doesn't give up easily, he doesn't throw tantrums, he always has a smile and he really enjoys the process of creating.'
In fact, he enjoys the process so much he can sometimes complete five paintings in a day. His pieces are characterised by his startling use of bold, striking colours and radical rendering of figures and animals.
Shalom badgered his parents for art classes after he saw the fun his brother was having. He has found his niche in Chinese brush painting.
His trademark is the ladybird, although his paintings of little chicks and praying mantises are imbued with a gorgeous sense of whimsy.
Like his brother, he has won many prizes. In fact, he has sold nearly 20 pieces of his work, fetching between $250 and $1,000 for each.
Mr Ng says: 'He's very inspired by Isaac. He made errors in the beginning but he's a perfectionist. I gave him the confidence to experiment and refine, and now he does it easily. He is very easy to teach.'
A huge football fan whose favourite team is
'Sometimes I wish I could do two paintings so that I could keep one and sell the other. But if I did that, that would make my progress slower,' he says with a big sigh.
The two brothers are close.
'Shalom talks to his brother, and they do things like go riding and swimming together. Isaac, in turn, sometimes calls his brother Baby.'
While realising that their time is limited, the family dwell on the positive and relish the joy the two boys bring to their lives.
Pensively, Mrs Lim says: 'I'm dreaming of an exhibition, especially for Isaac. He is so quiet and such a lovely guy. But because he's difficult to connect with, I agonise that he may be forgotten.'
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