Imagine getting bullied because of the way a stranger walks. Imagine being stared at because of the way a stranger walks.

Imagine the stranger to be you. How does it really feel to be someone who has cerebral palsy? How does it really feel to be Jermayne Chong?

Jermayne, a 17-year-old student studying in Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) was born with cerebral palsy, to be precise, spastic cerebral palsy. This kind of cerebral palsy is by far the most common type, occurring in about 80% of all cases.

The kind of treatment he got from his previous secondary school was way different from the way he is being treated now in NYP.

“The classmates that I have now in NYP are so much better than I expected. They are even willing to carry my laptop around if I’m having a bit of difficulty, and they often ask for my well-being.”

For him, the days in secondary school were pure hell.
He was bullied and laughed at because of the way he walks. Stares were frequent, and he even remembered an incident whereby he lost his balance, fell down, but no one came to his aid.

“Many saw that I fell, but not a single soul was willing to help me up. At that moment, I wanted to give up on my life, but I guess good things will happen to me one day.”

And that one day came when he first stepped into NYP. “The classmates that I had were really caring. Instead of just staring and giving weird looks, they took the initiative to ask me about my condition, which I thought was very understanding of them to do so”, he explained.

Traveling by public transport is an everyday norm for Jermayne. If you think that keeping himself stable throughout his destination is a challenge for him, then you’re mistaken.

“People tend to look and stare at me because of the way I walk. It was extremely difficult for me at first, but it takes time getting used to. And now, it’s even alright for me to travel to school or other places on my own!” he said, smiling away.

The Manchester United fan believes that being disabled is not a reason for someone to not enjoy what they love doing the most.

“Being disabled does not mean I cannot play soccer! I can play soccer like any other normal people!” he chuckled.

As much as disabled people wanting to be treated equally like able-bodied people, Jermayne really hopes that the public is able and willing to help the disabled in need.

He believes in treasuring his friendship that he has made in NYP, and he hopes that the three years of school he is going through now would be a smooth-sailing one. Friendships are an important part of our lives, and therefore, treat the people around you nicely, because they might just help you up after you fall.