Irene Ahin, Singapore to Australia, 1940 – 2009, Part Two

Following is Part Two of a three part series of Irene Ahin’s biography as dictated by Irene to her computer class coordinator, Tom Moloney.

Part Two

Faris was only two months old when I awoke one night with a high temperature and I was taken to hospital. I was diagnosed with Encephalitis and stayed for six months. I was unconscious for six weeks. When I came to, I was paralysed from the neck down. I could not see anything but I could hear.

Gradually my sight came back, firstly as shadows and then fully restored. My mother had to teach me to talk again. Mum couldn’t visit me every day because she was still feeding Faris and she had to walk two miles each way to get to the hospital to visit me. Eventually an old lady, who had a large house near the hospital, offered the family the use of her garage in which we could live, in return for house cleaning by my grandmother. When I was eventually released from the hospital, I moved into the garage with the rest of the family. I needed a lot of rehabilitation when I came home and this was done mainly by my mother at home.

The war was now over and Dad applied to Red Cross for accommodation at the Red Cross camp. This camp of huts and tents was used by the Japanese to house POW’s and was now used to house those who had lost their homes. Meals were collected from a mess hut in billy-cans and after being hungry for a long time, it was a real blessing. We lived at this camp for the next few years. Dad went back to his job as an architectural draughtsman for the Government and we eventually moved out to live with Aunty Luna. It was here that I had a little cane chair and table and spent a lot of time on the verandah outside our room or in the garden with my picture books and toys. Mum gave me a chalkboard and some chalk to try and draw. I couldn’t control my hands very well. Every night Joan, Faris and I would have a little singalong of nursery rhymes and other songs with Mum and Dad.

By 1949, we were provided with a house by the Government, as Dad was a government employee. The family grew – Brian, then Robin and Ann were born. My schooling was carried out by mum at home after work, as there were no special schools in Singapore. Both she and Dad worked and I was looked after by the servants during the day.

I was often very lonely while my sisters were at school and Mum and Dad were at work. In spite of my illness, I was always up to mischief and loved to tell the others to do pranks and watch them get into trouble. When I was about 10 years old I used to do a lot of sewing, weaving, raffia work and drawing which I sold to friends to get more money for materials. Once a year I would  go Christmas shopping and the people would crowd around my chair, as it was an unusual sight.

Leaving Singapore

Aunty Alex was visited by a relative, Kitty Karlenberg from Australia and both of them visited us. Kitty told us how well disabled people were cared for in Australia and the extensive facilities  available. Mum and Dad became enthusiastic and set the ball rolling and applied for permanent residency. We were summoned for an interview with the High Commissioner. Our whole family was interviewed in 1962.

I remember he was a kind man and encouraged Ann (aged 8 years) and Robin (aged 10 years) to chat to him. In fact he spoke to each one of us possibly to find out our level of education as  well as how we would fit into Australian society.

Mum and Dad celebrated their silver wedding anniversary on December 27 1962, not long before we left. We had a marquee set up in the front garden, ordered a Chinese banquet and a three tiered cake which Mum had iced.

A few friends came as well from both sides of the family. Part Three of Irene’s Story - Coming to Australia.

Truly Inspirational

Irene dictated her story to me then typed it out herself from my transcription using single finger typing aided by a delayed key stroke.

Over time, with the assistance of various Scope occupational therapists, we modified her keyboard and working position. We also made use of a program which saved her vocabulary, presented  a choice as each letter of the word was typed, which was then selected by a function key. This sped up her typing to enable her each session to add a number of sentences to her story.

She is truly inspirational.

Tom Moloney,
Monday Computer Class Co-ordinator,
Prahran Neighbourhood House