Tan Whee Boon, now 59, affectionately calls his wife his "bodyguard," but there was a time when he felt she’d be better off without him. In 2015, Tan’
Tan Whee Boon, now 59, affectionately calls his wife his “bodyguard,” but there was a time when he felt she’d be better off without him. In 2015, Tan’s life changed drastically after he ate a raw fish dish at a Chinatown hawker center, which led to severe pneumonia complicated by sepsis. Three days later, his hands and feet developed gangrene, and doctors ultimately had to amputate them.
After the surgeries, Tan was confined to a motorized wheelchair, and his wife, Choong Siet Mei, became his primary caregiver. “As long as I’m out of the house, she has to be with me,” he shared on a recent podcast with Capital 958, reflecting on how much Choong has had to sacrifice.
In the early days of his recovery, Tan struggled with depression and even tried to take his own life. Feeling guilty and frustrated, he would sometimes lash out at Choong and told her that she could leave if she was unhappy. But Choong reassured him that she was there by choice, not obligation, which deeply moved him. Now, Tan ensures she has time to herself, letting her spend a few hours with friends on weekends and public holidays.
With support, Tan has grown closer to his family, opening up more emotionally with his wife and expressing appreciation for the little things. His relationship with his children has also improved; once a reserved and strict father, Tan now treats his children as friends, trying to be less of a burden on them.
Tan has even returned to work as a drafter for a construction company, a role that allows him to work from home. Outside of work, he stays active with wheelchair rugby and dragon boating, even earning the Goh Chok Tong Enable Award in 2021, which celebrates achievements by persons with disabilities. Looking to the future, he still has dreams, including trying skydiving one day. “Maybe I won’t be able to do it, but it’s good to have a dream,” he said.
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