This is because she and her father, as well as four of her seven siblings, had muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition that causes progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass.

Now 58, she began using crutches in her 20s, before moving to a wheelchair in her 30s. “The people in my hometown said what I had was a curse. Many of them did not want to be associated with my family, saying it would bring them negative effects,” she told FMT Lifestyle.

Sia, however, refused to take these words to heart. She went on to thrive, eventually becoming the founder and chairman of the Malaysia Independent Living Association For Disabled (Milad), and president of the Society of the Chinese Disabled Persons Malaysia.

Now based in the Klang Valley, Sia works as a freelance trainer for disability equality. She has two children: daughter Ng Pui Yarn, 25, also has muscular dystrophy; while son Benjamin Ng Tin Yarn, 18, has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Raising children with special needs can be challenging for anybody, much less someone with a physical disability. But the tenacious Sia has never let anything stop her from providing her family with love and support.

“All children are special in their own ways. All they want is your love, time and attention, and it’s our role as mothers to give it to them,” she said.

In 1994, she married Ng Peng Wai, a polio survivor. Five years later, they conceived their first child. Her joy, however, was short-lived: her doctor advised her to terminate the pregnancy as the gestation period could be dangerous, with a 50% chance the baby might inherit her condition.

Sia, however, believes all children are divine blessings, and was torn on what to do. “A few doctors didn’t want to operate on me. So I prayed to God, ‘if you want me to have this child, please help me find a doctor’. And thankfully, I managed to find one.”

Her daughter was delivered successfully and, today, is a law student.

‘All Is Good’

Raising a child with the same condition can be difficult, Sia acknowledged, and self-acceptance is key. She recalled how her daughter had said, in kindergarten, that she was tired of being different.

“She told me, ‘I don’t want to be like you, Mummy. I want to walk, and run like my friends. It broke my heart.”

Sia turned to prayer and was inspired to tell her daughter a story. She wove a tale about a cow with an extra-long tail, who learnt to accept how special she was.

Her daughter enjoyed the story and Sia eventually adapted it into a book, “All Is Good”. Proceeds from sales have been used to support her children’s education, and she hopes it will inspire readers to accept themselves as they are.

Sia and her husband have devoted themselves to helping their kids thrive in today’s world. Her son, now a college student, is grateful for all Sia has done for him, saying she has “a really big heart”.

“She’s a good mother. We sometimes have disagreements, like most parents and children, but I love her to death,” Benjamin told FMT Lifestyle.

Sia’s dedication has not gone unnoticed: last month, she, alongside seven others, were presented with the Anugerah Ibu Kiwanis. The award, organised by the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Kiwanis club, celebrates mothers who have gone to extraordinary lengths for their children.

While Sia is grateful for the award, she also believes her own mother, Tey Hong Eng, is a far more worthy recipient.

“She has had to face more difficulty than me. She had to raise seven children, five of whom had my condition. I should nominate her for this award next year,” Sia said with a smile.

“Still, I am very happy to receive this, and I hope my story encourages more mothers not to give up, no matter the circumstances.

“I believe God has always given us enough strength to do what we need to do as mothers,” she concluded.

‘All Is Good’ is priced at RM35. To get your copy, contact Sia at [email protected]. Also follow her on Facebook.