North View pupil overcomes heart condition to sit PSLE
At just 10 years old, Ridhwan Fadli was hospitalised with a severe respiratory illness that triggered a heart attack, leaving him in a battle for his life.
What began as a simple flu worsened into an influenza infection that caused a myocardial infarction, which put him on life support for 14 days, said his parents, Mr Mohammad Fadli and Madam Siti Rizana.
His heart condition, along with other complications such as stroke, left him wheelchair-bound as he was paralysed from the waist down. His speech and cognitive abilities were also impacted.
Despite these setbacks, the North View Primary School pupil was determined not to let his condition define him.
“I never felt like giving up,” said Ridhwan, who is now 12. “Although I was scared of failing my exams when I was in the hospital, my teachers helped me to overcome my fear.”
After spending three months in the hospital, Ridhwan returned to school in Primary 5.
His teachers dedicated extra time to help him catch up with his schoolwork and adjust back to school life. They taught him how to be resilient and overcome challenges.
He was also supported by his 38-year-old mother and full-time caregiver, his father who drove him to and from school every day, and his friends who helped him with his schoolwork.
Ridhwan is fully recovered now, although he remains wheelchair-bound.
He was one of 40,894 pupils who took the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2024.
Of this cohort, 98.5 per cent of them did well enough to progress to secondary school, said the Ministry of Education and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board in a joint statement on Nov 20.
Ridhwan, who did not want to share his results, said he received favourable grades and is able to enrol in Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School, the school of his choice.
He took foundation-level subjects for PSLE, after making the transition from standard-level subjects in 2024, which helped ease the stress of keeping up with his peers.
“I said to myself, ‘I can do it’,” Ridhwan added. “I remained confident.”
Describing his son as bubbly, friendly and cheerful, Mr Fadli said that he supported Ridhwan through his journey by encouraging him and telling him positive things.
“It was hard to tell him that he cannot walk,” said Mr Fadli. “But I focused on telling him things like not to lose hope, and that things happen for a reason.”
Despite draining their savings on therapy and medical bills, the couple are inspired by their son’s determination to never give up.
“We have no worries about his results, and we just want the best for him,” said Mr Fadli.
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