03/05/2026
Week 1!
Salimana’s First Week in Singapore 🇸🇬
Salimana’s first week in Singapore began on Tuesday, 28th April — the day after we arrived.
His first appointment was at 9am with Dr Lam, a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at The Bone Island clinic in Mt Alvernia Hospital. He carried out a very thorough examination, checking Salimana from his neck down to his feet for any abnormalities. To be certain, he referred him for a full-body X-ray.
The consultation lasted almost an hour, and Salimana was already getting a bit stressed. Thankfully, while waiting for the X-ray, he managed to calm down a little. But knowing Sali, sitting still isn’t really his thing — he was ready to leave as soon as possible!
Meanwhile, I was dealing with an allergy reaction that morning — sneezing uncontrollably with my nose running non-stop 🤧🙃. Not the best timing, but we carried on.
It was Salimana’s first-ever X-ray, and both his mum and I were allowed in the room wearing protective gear. Salimana had to lie still on the X-ray bed — which he definitely didn’t enjoy. But the radiographer handled him so well through all the movement, discomfort, and screaming. She was just as kind and patient. Her care really meant a lot.
We finally left the X-ray room at 12:45pm — time for a quick lunch before his next appointment.
At 2pm, we met Dr Yeo, a paediatric neurologist at the Paediatrics Neuroscience Centre, also at Mt Alvernia. He explained clearly how Salimana’s brain works and how it affects his movements. The type of cerebral palsy he has is called dystonia, which unfortunately cannot be reversed. This is something his mum and I have come to accept since we first started coming to Singapore when he was just 3 years old. He’ll be turning 20 this May 14th.
Dr Yeo discussed two treatment options: Botox injections or medication in tablet form. He recommended starting with the tablets, which Salimana will take for the next six weeks to help manage his jerky, uncontrollable movements.
By the time we left at 3:15pm, Salimana was completely drained 😴.
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Wednesday
Wednesday’s appointment was at 11am at Mt Elizabeth Medical Centre with Dr Leo, a senior consultant ophthalmologist.
The consultation lasted about an hour and a half. It was quite a busy clinic, and the tight space made it challenging to manoeuvre Salimana in his wheelchair, which made him a bit anxious. But we managed to get through it.
We learned that his left eye drifts outward and isn’t properly centred. He was prescribed new lenses and will need to wear a patch over his right (stronger) eye. This will encourage the left eye to work harder and hopefully improve its alignment — a bit like exercise for the eye.
But the day wasn’t over yet!
We then headed to Paediatric Seating Solutions (PSS) for a wheelchair adjustment. They fitted him with new back and head supports and demonstrated to us, how to properly use his hoist. PSS has always supported us with Salimana’s equipment, and this time was no different.
Salimana was actually excited — he knew his wheelchair was getting an upgrade! We wrapped up around 4pm.
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Thursday
Thursday was dental day 😬😫😳 — and Salimana’s first-ever dental appointment.
This had been booked two months in advance by his therapist. The dentist explained that although there are over 2,000 dentists in Singapore, only about six specialists are equipped to handle patients with conditions like Salimana’s.
The consultation was very challenging. Salimana is extremely sensitive around his face, especially his mouth, and he struggles to keep it open for long — only briefly, like when he’s eating. This makes even basic dental checks difficult, not to mention brushing his teeth properly.
During the examination, the dentist found two decaying teeth that will need to be extracted. However, due to Salimana’s condition, a normal extraction won’t be possible. He will need to be sedated for the procedure.
The dentist took time to explain everything clearly and reassured us about the sedation, which helped ease some of our concerns.
The procedure will be costly, but we trust and believe that God will provide for everything needed to get this done for him.
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Friday
Friday was a public holiday, so we finally had a chance to slow down and rest. It was a much-needed break for Salimana after such a full and exhausting week.
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That was Salimana’s first week in Singapore.
Thank you to everyone who has supported us — whether financially, through kind gestures, or through prayer. We truly couldn’t have done this without you.
God bless you all 🙏
