In the face of absolute despair and challenge, how does one overcome the odds?

For Ting Jun Heng (Arts and Social Sciences ’23), the journey towards this answer was a long and painful one. In 2018, just before the end of his first year as a Political Science major in the National University of Singapore (NUS), a serious road traffic accident threw Jun Heng’s life into complete disarray, leaving him with a traumatic brain injury. Hanging by a thread in a coma with only 1% chance of recovery, for three months it was not even certain whether Jun Heng would manage to survive the accident.

When Jun Heng did at last wake from his coma, the brain injury had wiped out most of his cognitive and physical abilities. Even in the face of survival, the ordeal was far from over. Jun Heng was a shadow of his former self – unable to speak at all and wheelchair bound with no control over the left side of his body, he had to undergo rigorous speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy to regain these abilities. In all this, Jun Heng’s mother was an immovable pillar of support, dedicating herself to enabling his recovery through instilling her own therapy practices at home and refurnishing their house to accommodate his mobility issues.

Amidst these recovery challenges, the accident also took a financial toll on Jun Heng’s family. As the lawsuit proceedings for his case were only just beginning, Jun Heng was not able to receive compensation immediately, and the high cost of his medical expenses and intensive rehabilitation dug deep into the family’s finances. With his father self-employed, mother a homemaker and sister also studying in NUS at the time, financial assistance was of paramount importance to the family.  

Thankfully, Jun Heng was a recipient of multiple NUS bursaries, including the Derek Hewett Bursary and the OK Foundation Bursary. As he resumed his studies in NUS a year after the accident, the funding from the bursaries greatly supported his education, relieving any compounded financial burden for his family. Jun Heng was able to fully focus on his studies, truly overcoming the odds by graduating in 2023 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences, Highest Distinction (Honours).

The support from Jun Heng's family was a key motivator in his journey towards graduating with Honours (Highest Distinction). 

However, the road to this success was not without its obstacles. Due to his brain injury, Jun Heng’s first semester back in NUS after the accident was academically difficult; the struggle was further compounded amidst a sense of emotional isolation as his classmates and friends had moved a year ahead in their studies. Throughout this arduous journey, he held steadfastly to a quote from ‘The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World’ that “fundamentally changed [his] life” and inspired him to persevere for a purpose: “The way we heal our own pain is actually by turning to the pain of others.”

Jun Heng was thus determined to turn his painful experience towards giving back and helping others heal from their own pain. He joined NUS Enablers, a student interest group and student arm of the NUS Student Accessibility Unit, to advocate for a campus environment of accessibility and inclusivity for students with disabilities. While navigating the physical and emotional challenges of university, Jun Heng’s work at NUS Enablers was a “source of much joy and purpose”.

Till today, Jun Heng continues to pursue this vision of healing others’ pain. He is now a Customer Experience Manager at SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). He hopes in the future to join the disability sector and create policies that may enable Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) across Singapore.

Jun Heng recently had the opportunity to speak on behalf of all student bursary recipients at NUS Giving’s Donor Appreciation Dinner, giving a heartfelt address to our donors. “You have allowed me to come full circle by completing my university education, despite my personal challenges,” he shared, his simple words representing the immense gratitude shared by several other student recipients whose lives have been similarly impacted.

Jun Heng and his mother at NUS Giving's Donor Appreciation Event.

From being completely unable to utter a single word post-accident to confidently sharing his story to an audience of 176 donors, Jun Heng has indeed come full circle in his journey of overcoming all odds. Though the road may have been isolating at times, he was never truly alone in his pain – he could always take comfort in the unwavering effort of his mother, the generous aid of our donors and the empowering NUS community that never failed to come alongside.