WHEN Pang Phey Shuang, fondly known as Patricia among friends, lost her eyesight in 2017 as a result of blood clots in both eyes, she felt utterly devastated, but with the support of her family and friends, she managed to find solace in knitting.
Finally, her attractive designs caught the attention of members of the public and sold well at bazaars, bringing her much-needed income. Today, life has turned around for Pang and she works with Caleb Eee, her partner, who supports her by helping to sell the knitted items online and also at bazaars.
Eee, who was born blind, met Pang in 2019 and felt compassion for her dilemma while admiring her fighting spirit. They became close friends, and Eee confessed how he fell in love with her. Eventually they became a couple, helping each other out on a daily basis, both at home and in selling Pang’s knitted items.
“It is definitely challenging for Pang as her health progressively became worse with time, and her kidneys also eventually failed, forcing her to go on dialysis. Together we face daily challenges as she needs emotional support.
“We share many hobbies together, such as singing and eventually my plan is to marry Pang, most probably next year, and find our happiness together.
“Her biggest challenge is her health and it has been a hard journey from the time she lost sight in both her eyes to eventual dialysis, but she remains positive,” said Eee, who works at a bank in a regular job and earns a steady income.
Eee, who recently turned 50, trained after his receiving his high school diploma at the Gurney Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur and, with great perseverance, secured a variety of jobs where he could earn an independent living. As Pang’s dialysis took a financial toll on her finances, Eee realised it was important for her to feel a sense of independence from earning her own income.
He then continued to help her in whatever way he could. Throughout her sudden onset of blindness, Pang looked for ways to earn an income and discovered her hobby of knitting. Various cartoon characters such as Minions and Sponge box square pants-themed knitting seemed popular among her friends.
Many good Samaritans encouraged Pang on her journey and supported her by sourcing out locations where Pang could sell her knitted items at bazaars and shopping complexes.
One of her close friends, Dorothy Chen, who supported Pang through her difficult times by arranging free space at bazaars to sell her knitted items, said, “Pang is incredibly talented and for her to be able to knit when she is totally blind is indeed testament to her resilience and her determination to earn an income for herself.
“My brother lost his sight in 2022, and as I accompanied him to support group meetings for individuals facing challenges, I had the opportunity to meet Pang. I was deeply impressed by her unwavering determination,” shared Chen. Goh Ling Ling, a close and supportive friend working as a sales manager, played a crucial role in assisting Pang in creating a Facebook account to showcase her knitted creations.
Goh expressed, “Instead of evoking pity or sympathy, I believe Pang empowers many through her resolute determination to embrace life.” Living with a disability can be challenging and Pang, who was born with sight but had to adapt to losing it due to health issues, exemplifies this struggle.
At present, Pang garners support from numerous friends through her Facebook page, aptly named “Project Patricia Pheyshuang”. Joanna Lim, an educator who specialises in enrichment classes for children, reached out to lend a hand to Pang. Through her Facebook posts, she also helped promote Pang’s hand-knitted items to a wider audience.
Lim said she is inspired by Pang’s fighting spirit. “Her resilience inspires me to lend a helping hand to her. Although it is challenging for her to adjust to a new way of life without eyesight, she did it by learning how to knit and crochet and also selling them.
“Instead of letting her disability define her, she decided to turn her hobby into a livelihood. Her fighting spirit should be an inspiration to everyone,” she said.
For those who wish to view the knitted items, please go to “Patricia Pheyshuang” on her Facebook, while donations towards her medical bills can be made to Public Bank Berhad (6888741936) under Patricia Phey Shuang.
