Duchenne: Shalom's Lifelong Partner-in-Crime — Shalom Lim Ern Rong

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Shalom Lim is a University of Liverpool graduate, having completed an honors bachelor’s degree in criminology and security in July 2021. Born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and diagnosed at 4 months old in 1996, he is currently based in the Eastern part of Singapore. His hope for his column is to advocate for the health and well-being of the muscular dystrophy community in Southeast Asia.

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A Purple Parade profile amplifies my disability advocacy

Last month, the Purple Parade featured my story on its website. Reading my profile prompted me to reflect on why I continue speaking up about living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and what I hope these conversations might achieve. The Purple Parade is Singapore’s largest disability-inclusion movement,…

Shalom Lim Ern Rong

Columns

Breaking the 4th Wall: My Struggle for Identification as an Artist

On Nov. 10, I delivered my second poem, “Breaking the Fourth Wall,” at an engagement by ART:DIS, the first organization in Singapore to pioneer the artistic development of members of the disabled community. The goal of ART:DIS is to unearth the creative talents and diverse gifts of disabled Singaporeans…

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Disability Inclusion Movements Must Include the Rarest of the Rare

I celebrated my 27th birthday on Oct. 25 and feel tremendously blessed to have made it this far, especially with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Duke (my pet name for Duchenne) has taken me through many arduous trials and difficult times, including feeling marginalized within my own disability community. Still,…

Columns

What ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’ Means to Me as a Duchenne MD Survivor

Warning: This column contains spoilers for the Netflix musical film “tick, tick…BOOM!” In my last column, I wrote about my relationship with the concept of crip time, which addresses how time works differently in the lives of disabled people. Crip time has enabled me to accept who I am…

Columns

The Benefits of Coming Out Crip as Someone With Duchenne MD

Note: This column includes thoughts about suicide. Resources for help are listed at the end of the column. I delivered my first research presentation at the College of Alice & Peter Tan (CAPT) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on Sept. 17. In March, my favorite lecturer from my…

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I’m Hoping a Mobility Assistance Dog Can Help Me With Daily Activities

Last week, I started a new job as a part-time community partnerships executive with K9Assistance, Singapore’s first assistance dog advocacy organization. Assistance dogs are service dogs trained to help disabled people perform tasks to mitigate their impairments. As a Duchenne muscular dystrophy survivor, I’ve always been intrigued…

Columns

Can a Disability Become a Friend? It Has for Me.

As a person with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, I’ve always felt socially deprived and isolated. It’s been an extremely painful and lonely journey for me. Many of us with Duchenne also have undiagnosed anxiety and depressive disorders, adding layers of complexity to our already arduous paths. Most…


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