Magdalene Tong, 19  

First-year nursing student at the National University of Singapore

Magdalene was diagnosed with Cleidocranial Dysostosis at birth, a condition she regards as an invisible disability. The rare genetic disorder, which affects one in a million people, causes abnormal underdevelopment of her bones, skull and teeth.

“Do not judge a disability by its visibility. Everyone has their own story to tell.”

Due to the condition, Magdalene has scoliosis, spina bifida, knock knees, the absence of clavicles, and the incomplete closure of her skull. It meant that she is unable to engage in high-impact sports and many physical activities. In addition, Magdalene’s permanent teeth have not yet erupted.  With mostly primary  and supernumerary teeth,  she has to undergo surgery to remove them, the most recent being in 2018 when she had to remove about 10 of them.

However, Magdalene continues to connect with her peers, occasionally participating in leisure sports like badminton. In quieter moments, Magalene does Chinese paintings and calligraphy, skills she picked up at school in 2017, “Engaging in this hobby allows me to gain more inner peace, and I enjoy training my patience whilst at it.”

“Why are you so short? Why can’t you do this and that?”

Casual remarks from those who do not know Magdalene well still creep into their conversations, and she believes it is “inevitable in the long run” of their acquaintanceship. She used to take the remarks to heart but has since learnt to view them as arising from curiosity and lack of awareness rather than maliciousness.

“My school days helped me to become what I am today – helping me grow as an individual as well as a leader.”

Believing that one should never be defined by their disability, Magdalene lives life to the best of her ability by participating in many activities when she was in River Valley High School. She took up the Ministry of Education’s Bicultural Studies Programme Scholarship and was an exco member of the Bicultural Leaders’ Academy. Magdalene was also an exco member of her junior college’s student council and vice-president of the Aesthetics Council.

Driven by a passion to serve the community, Magdalene also dedicates time to take part in projects that uplift the community. As a grassroots leader in Boon Lay, she has taken up the role of a Project Lead for Ninja Learn Tuition, a programme which provides weekly tuition for underprivileged children living in the area. “I find joy in volunteering and impacting the lives of people around me, especially seeing how even small actions can help them in one way or another.”

“I hope to become someone who can be there to empower patients during their vulnerable moments in life.”

Magdalene took a leap of faith to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the National University of Singapore. “Due to my condition, much of my growing up years were spent between hospital visits. It was through these interactions with the dedicated medical team that inspired me to become a healthcare professional.” Magdalene also believes that there is no limit to how much one can extend care to patients and that receiving the Scholarship will provide her with more opportunities to do so in the future.

The APB Foundation Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities is a bond-free scholarship. It supports students with physical, sensory or developmental disabilities in their university studies at six local institutions with no restrictions in the discipline of studies. It is also the only pan-disability scholarship in Singapore. Since its launch in 2004, the APB Foundation has committed over $2.2 million to the programme and has since awarded 59 scholarships. Find out more at https://www.spd.org.sg/scholarships/.