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Reality can be a b****, but once you face it bravely, you will discover that is where the beauty of life is,” HCA caregiver Sallehhuddin says candidly, before gesturing to his mother and playfully planting a kiss on her cheek.
It is a wise revelation for Sallehhuddin, who spent the bulk of his 20s mired in drugs. “Nine long years,” he recounts pensively. “It was a good thing I got caught in 2017.”
His first brush with drugs began shortly after he fractured his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2007, and was taking strong painkillers to manage the pain. “My mother was diagnosed with cancer in 2009, and my father had bronchitis around then as well, and I began dealing drugs to settle the medical bills,” Sallehhuddin shares. “At that time, I thought I wouldn’t have enough time to spend with my parents if I had worked a normal job.”
As the only child, Sallehhuddin simply wanted to take care of his parents, even if being on the wrong side of the law was not the best way to do so.
The Best Motivation
The year-long incarceration turned out to be the wake-up call Sallehhuddin needed from the endless downward spiral of drugs. Following his release from prison in 2018, he has made a clean break from the friends who still dabble in drugs, steering clear of any temptations. “My parents have difficulties getting around, and my dad was diagnosed with end-stage cancer,” he says. “What will happen to them if I were to go to jail again?”
“If I were arrested again, and my father passed on, I would never forgive myself.”
These are poignant reminders that go through his mind each day, before Sallehhuddin leaves the house, mostly for his night shifts at a convenience store near home.
Preparing meals for his parents.
After the end of his shift at 7am, Sallehhuddin buys breakfast for his parents before heading home and ensuring they take their medication, before he takes his rest.
Shared Hobbies
A self-professed adrenaline junkie, Sallehhuddin fondly remembers how he used to take his father, HCA patient Mr Samsir Ali, for rides on the back of his motorcycle, cruising down the roads together.
An old photo of Sallehhuddin and Mr Samsir Ali.
“I loved motorcycle racing,” he shares. “My dad would go to the track to support me – he likes motorcycles too!”
While riding pillion may be a distant dream now for Mr Samsir Ali, who struggles with walking, there is no doubt that time spent together means the world for the close-knit family. “These days, we just watch TV together in the living room,” Sallehhuddin says. “Having parents is the most special treasure ever – I only have one mum and one dad.”
Sallehhuddin and his father Mr Samsir Ali.
Having stayed clean for the last five years, Sallehhuddin hopes to eventually acquire higher qualifications, and counsel youth facing the same struggles he did. “I think it is important to find things that are key in our life,” he advises. “Most importantly, we should ask ourselves, ‘Is this the way we want to live till the end?’”
All HCA services are provided at no charge to our patients and we rely heavily on philanthropy and public generosity to sustain our operations. Enable HCA to continue providing medical care and support to Sallehhuddin and his family by making a donation today.
