“I was a very good dancer when I was young. Cha cha, waltz, foxtrot – those were some of my favourite dances. My wife, Catherine can’t dance, so at functions, she would sit with my brother while I danced with my sister-in-law. Still, we had a good time and I will always cherish those fun moments.

Catherine and I first met when we were working at my father’s menswear store. I was the retail manager and she was one of the sales staff. We fell in love and got married in 1983.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes in my 60s, I was in shock because I had considered myself fairly healthy. Both of us have diabetes now, but we don’t think of ourselves as ill at all!

Friends with diabetes sometimes struggle to keep their diet and blood sugar levels under control. We always tell them, you must do all three – healthy diet, medication and regular exercise. You cannot do just one without the other.

We are so disciplined because we don’t ever want to suffer the complications that come with diabetes, like eye and kidney trouble, amputation and immobility. We also trust Dr Swah and Sister Azizah, both of whom we have grown close to over the years. Thanks to them and all the staff at Bedok Polyclinic, we feel assured whenever we visit them when feeling unwell.

Now that we are retired, we are free to do whatever we like. We enjoy watching Korean dramas, and travelling. Our favourite destination is Hawaii. We went there for our honeymoon, and loved how easy-going the people were. We plan to visit again very soon.”

Edgar D’Souza
Retiree
Winner of The Singapore Health Inspirational Patient Awards 2017.

The Singapore Health Inspirational Patient Awards is an annual award which honours individuals for their strength, courage and resilience in the face of healthcare challenges.