A new beginning of shared purpose at Shalom Medcare
My new job allows me to continue working toward my advocacy goals
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Since September, my life has moved in an exciting new direction, starting with becoming a marketing communications assistant at Shalom Medcare (SMC), a medical transport company here in Singapore.
In case you’re wondering, yes, I realize it’s amusing that the company and I share the name “Shalom” — something that’s been a conversation starter ever since I met the founder, Javier Chan, two years ago. This opportunity has filled me with a renewed sense of purpose, reminding me of the work my late brother, Isaac, and I did to support Singapore’s muscular dystrophy community.
Regular readers may recall that I stepped away from my last job as a community partnerships executive at K9Assistance in April. It was a difficult decision, but necessary. My health (I have Duchenne muscular dystrophy) had taken a hit from tapering off antidepressants and corticosteroids, and I needed time to recover from that. Now, after months of healing and introspection, I’m back in the game with a different mission, but the same level of determination and drive.
When journeys overlap
My journey with SMC began unexpectedly in 2022, a year after it was founded. I’d booked a ride with another service, but it sent Javier to be my driver. We discussed why he’d chosen Shalom Medcare as his company’s name. His father, he said, had encouraged him to start his own business — but not as a school bus operator, like him, because that industry was declining. Instead, his father advised him to focus on wheelchair transport, which was a growing need in Singapore’s rapidly aging population.
Javier took that advice and launched SMC to provide wheelchair-accessible vehicle (WAV) transportation and medical escort services.
The word “shalom” resonated deeply with Javier, who’d been inspired by a college lecturer who used the word frequently — not just as a greeting, but as a way of wishing students peace, wholeness, and prosperity. That concept became Javier’s guiding principle. He wanted his business to offer peace of mind to nonambulatory wheelchair users and their caregivers, ensuring that they’d reach their medical appointments with dignity and care.
Since then, I’ve been a loyal client of SMC. When Javier invited me to join its marketing team, my decision was a no-brainer; it felt like a natural progression of our shared ethos. In fact, I’d been helping SMC behind the scenes, contributing to crafting their tagline, “bringing Shalom to your journey.”
But at first, I couldn’t commit to the company because of my K9Assistance work, where I was responsible for raising the profile of businesses, like SMC, that are friendly to assistance dogs. But now, my SMC work has allowed me to merge my passion for patient advocacy with my communications and marketing skills.
My work now feels like an extension of the advocacy work Isaac and I did, when we raised over $100,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore)‘s WAV service. (Isaac, too, had DMD.) Our mission was clear: to ensure that people with muscular dystrophy, such as ourselves, could access the services they needed to lead fulfilled lives. SMC is letting me continue that mission.
I was recently part of my new employer’s first photo shoot. It was a poignant moment, when I felt like my life had come full circle; I’m contributing to a cause that reflects my values and builds on the legacy of work Isaac and I began all those years ago. This new job has given me a renewed sense of identity and purpose, and we’re only getting started.
Note: Muscular Dystrophy News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Muscular Dystrophy News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to muscular dystrophy.
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