Parenting challenges and her daughter’s rare illness do not deter this single mum and her kids from crossing the finishing line together. They share their inspiring story with EVELINE GAN
Parenting challenges and her daughter’s rare illness do not deter this single mum and her kids from crossing the finishing line together. They share their inspiring story with EVELINE GAN
Just over two years ago, mum-of-two Joycelyn Pang (pictured overleaf) would have blanched at the thought of going for a jog.
Today, the 41-year-old sales executive has completed more than 30 runs with her five- and 10-year-old daughters, Merrily and Melody.
Since their debut race in 2015, the trio have been unstoppable and are now familiar faces at local running events. A single mum, Joycelyn picked up the sport for her girls’ sake, although she has never been athletic.
More than just a motherdaughter bonding experience, participating in running events together has allowed her kids to share a common interest, she says.
“I feel that family activities like holiday trips are easily forgotten, but not the memory of completing a race because we have to work hard for it. I want my daughters to remember that they are sisters for life and that they will always have each other to run with,” says Joycelyn, who has signed them up for the upcoming Santa Run for Wishes on Dec 9 at Marina Bay.
RUNNING THE PARENTING RACE ALONE
Outside the running track, life has not been easy for Joycelyn, who sometimes juggles three jobs to provide for her kids. In addition to her sales executive job, the hardworking mum also runs a soft furnishings’ business.
Occasionally, she takes on waitressing jobs on weekends to earn extra cash. Joycelyn’s parents and her live-in domestic helper look after the girls when she works.
Adding to her solo parenting challenges is a sickly younger daughter. Since three months old, Merrily has been plagued with frequent bouts of chest infections, several of which have landed her in hospital.
“Her medical record file is so thick, but the doctor still cannot offer an explanation for her frequent bouts of illness. I tried to build up her immunity with swimming, but that only led to her getting ear infections. It was very frustrating,” Joycelyn shares.
One of her worst ordeals occurred in 2015, when Merrily came down with severe pneumonia after her second running event that year. She spent about three weeks in hospital, of which four days were spent fighting for her life in the intensive care unit.
“The amount of fluids they drained from her lungs was frightening. I gave up work to look after her. There was no way I could work in peace with Merrily being so ill,” says Joycelyn.
A MYSTERIOUS ILLNESS
Earlier this year, life dealt Joycelyn another hard hand when Merrily came down with a mysterious illness. Upon approval Please sign: Name and Date:
The symptoms, which initially confounded doctors, started with a fever which went on for two weeks. She also developed rashes and painful swelling in her joints.
“Everyone thought it was hand, foot and mouth disease. But they suspected it was something else when the rashes changed from red to a skin-toned colour,” says Joycelyn.
It turned out to a rare condition known as HenochSchonlein purpura (HSP), a disease where the small blood vessels become inflamed (see What is HenochSchonlein purpura?). This inflammation can cause blood vessels in the skin, intestines, kidneys and joints to leak.
Occurring most commonly in kids between the age of four and six, HSP affects about 10 to 20 in every 100,000 children under the age of 17, says Dr Elizabeth Ang, consultant at the Division of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology at National University Hospital (NUH). NUH sees an average of one to three such cases per week.
A prior infection, like a cold or sore throat, may trigger HSP, although doctors aren’t certain why some children get it and others do not.
While Merrily’s rashes were tolerable, her swollen joints – one of the classic signs of the disease – were particularly hard to manage, shares Joycelyn.
“The arthritis caused her so much pain that she was screaming. When her limbs and joints swelled, she could not stand or do anything because they hurt so much,” she says.
Recalling the traumatising experience, Joycelyn shares that she burst into tears after she found out through Google that long-term kidney complications sometimes occur in kids with HSP.
“The worst thing is not being able to do anything about it. The doctor said there is no treatment for this condition and it is usually left to run its course,” she says.
Fortunately, the symptoms eventually went away and Merrily got better after spending more than a week in the hospital. However, she is still on regular follow-ups to ensure that the disease did not cause lasting damage to her kidneys.
Joycelyn adds that Merrily’s immune system seems to have turned “upside down” after the episode. She suddenly developed allergies to certain types of fish and dust mites – something which she never used to experience – and is currently on daily antihistamines to prevent allergic flare-ups.
MIGHT AS WELL RUN
Still, these setbacks did not deter the gutsy mum from taking her girls to these running events.
“When Merrily came down with pneumonia after the Standard Chartered run in 2015, I blamed myself for taking her to the event as she might have picked up the bug there. But I realised that even when we don’t participate in any runs, she still falls ill. I might as well bring the girls out to have fun and get some sun,” she says.
Joycelyn says it warms her heart whenever she sees her elder daughter cheering the little one on.
When Merrily, who weighs 17 kg, ran out of steam halfway through the 5km route at the ST Run in July, it was her big sister who piggybacked her so that she could catch a breather. That heartwarming moment was captured by a Straits Times photographer and published in the newspaper.
Joycelyn is unable to carry Merrily for long periods of time due to a back problem after sustaining a car accident injury last year. The family eventually completed their route in 55 minutes.
“Sometimes, my little sister is quite lazy and doesn’t want to run,” Melody says. “But I don’t mind carrying her when she gets tired.”
Having run her parenting “race” alone, Joycelyn knows well the importance of rallying her little family together. She constantly reminds the girls to look out for each other, in good and bad times.
“Like all siblings, the sisters quarrel, of course. But Melody knows how to look out for her mei mei in times of need. On our runs, no one gets left behind,” says Joycelyn.
After all, she adds, it is no fun crossing the finishing line alone.
What is Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP)?
When you are sick or injured, your body’s immune system turns on an infl ammatory response that dies down when you get better.
Nobody knows why some kids are unable to “switch off” this infl ammation, which can cause problems. HenochSchonlein purpura (HSP) is one of them. The disease occurs when the infl ammation affects small blood vessels, usually in the skin, joints, intestines or kidneys.
Here, Dr Elizabeth Ang, consultant at the Division of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology at National University Hospital, shares fi ve things every parent should know about the unusual disease and its warning signs. But note that there is no way to predict which symptoms your child may develop.
It often happens after an infection, like a common cold or sore throat Common infections like a simple cold or Strep throat are the usual triggers, says Dr Ang. Sometimes, even an insect bite, medication or immunisation can wreak havoc on your kids’ immune system. But don’t panic; such triggers are not common.
Watch out for rashes, spots or bruises Three in four kids who get HSP start off by getting a rash, says Dr Ang. They often appear fi rst on the legs as small, dark red or purple spots that may become bigger over a few days. Sometimes, the rash may look like bruises or blisters. Besides the lower legs, you may fi nd rashes on the upper body, arms or bum.
Look out for joint swelling and tummy pain, too Swelling around the joints or feet – another classic sign of HSP – may cause your kid to limp or avoid walking. Your kid may also complain about tummy pain. This usually comes in within a week after the rash starts but can sometimes occur up to a month later.
In some cases, the tummy pain may come in before the rash.
It may affect your child’s kidneys The disease can cause kidney problems in up to half of its patients, shares Dr Ang. This is usually discovered by doing a urine test.
If any blood or protein is detected in the urine, your child will need to undergo follow-up urine tests, for up to about six months, even after he recovers. HSP may even affect other organs like the lungs, brain and testes, but such cases are rare, says Dr Ang.
Thankfully, most kids get better on their own First, the bad news: There is no way to prevent your kid from getting HSP. The good news is that the illness usually goes away on its own, even without treatment, says Dr Ang.
Even in children whose kidneys are affected, the majority eventually get better and less than 1 per cent end up with chronic kidney failure, she adds.
ST RUN PHOTO THE STRAITS TIMES ILLUSTRATION LOY SZE JIN
