After Mr Jalil Bin Salleh (above) had a right above knee amputation last year, moving around at home has become a more arduous task for him, especially when going to the bathroom. Prior to this, he had also undergone a left below knee amputation in 2015.

“As my bathroom door was too narrow, I was unable to go in and out of the bathroom with the commode. It was difficult to transfer between my wheelchair and commode on a ramp at an angle,” shared Mr Jalil, who enrolled into SPD’s Transition to Employment (TTE) Programme last August.

When Mr Jalil first joined the TTE programme, his occupational therapist, Ms Michelle Hui, picked up on his struggles during his initial sessions. She realised that this situation was going to take a toll on the 53-year-old Mr Jalil as he gets older.

To help address this accessibility challenge, a home assessment was conducted to assess the modification work needed and review other equipment options.

After determining the changes required, relevant authorities were approached to explore options to modify the bathroom entrance or door. However, these attempts were unsuccessful, leaving Mr Jalil with limited options as he was concerned about the cost of engaging a private contractor on his own.

Following liaison with different individuals, Michelle managed to find a contractor, Mr Jimmy Lim, who understood Mr Jalil’s situation and offered to take up the home modification project pro bono. Mr Lim, who usually sets aside a sum to help vulnerable communities every year, said: “There isn’t a specific reason on why I [decided to support this project] actually. I just want to help those in need and can’t think of a reason not to help.”

After nearly two months of planning and hard work from Mr Lim’s team, Mr Jalil was heartened to see the transformed bathroom entrance, with a wider doorframe for easier access.

Grateful for the generosity of Mr Lim and his team, Mr Jalil said: “Jimmy has helped me to remove the door frame, change the door and smoothen a part of the floor. He also helped to source for a door that can fold into the bathroom. Now, I can move in and out of the bathroom more easily. I am very thankful to him for that.”

What started out as a journey towards re-employment has turned out to be something even more for Mr Jalil, as he can now move more comfortably in his own home. The icing on the cake is that Mr Jalil has recently completed his training and is now working as a part-time cashier at Dignity Kitchen!

We are thankful for sponsors like Mr Jimmy Lim who are willing to go the extra mile for our clients.