It was on a trip to Bird Paradise where Star PALS patients, Zixuan and Netra, first met. From being extremely shy around each other back then, the two 19-year-old girls now share a beautiful friendship where they show support for each other.
The excursion was part of Star PALS’ outshoot initiative, Project Twilight, which aims to support patients aged 15 to 35 years in identifying and fulfilling the advanced psychosocial needs that emerge as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. Much like normal teens, our young patients like Zixuan and Netra similarly grapple with their sense of identity and belonging during this period of their lives too. Recognising how these psychosocial and emotional needs are usually overlooked due to their demanding health conditions, Project Twilight seeks to expose patients to life beyond the walls of their homes, and encourages them to develop new friendships by introducing them to fresh activities and places.
With limited opportunities for interactions throughout their lives, Zixuan and Netra’s first meeting at Bird Paradise was awkward – unsurprisingly so – and they required plenty of encouragement and reassurance from the Star PALS team to get to know each other. As they witnessed how Zixuan and Netra gradually grew comfortable around each other over time, the team put any worries they had over the two girls to rest and eventually let the friendship develop at its own pace.
The start of a new chapter: Zixuan and Netra’s (in wheelchair, third and fourth from right respectively) first meeting at Bird Paradise
Now, the duo visits our day hospice, Oasis@Outram, for activities on the same days, a special arrangement that they made between themselves so that they can be in each other’s company. Over there, the two will participate in the same programme together, even if it sometimes meant joining an activity that may not be particularly appealing to them. For Netra, this took the form of a dancing class. Despite her indifference to dancing, Netra volunteered to stay by Zixuan’s side throughout the sessions to support her friend’s pursuit of her most recent passion, a testament to how much she treasures her pal.
Through Project Twilight, Zixuan and Netra also shared the joyful experience of doing a kind gesture for others for the first time. The twosome baked lemon tarts, which they happily shared with other patients at the day hospice centre. On another occasion, both girls also had a hand in preparing the slime and kinetic sand which are used in therapy sessions for other non-communicative patients. Having grown accustomed to receiving help, patients like these two girls may not realise that they possess the power to care for others too. Beyond empowering them, Project Twilight also instils in them the value of rendering assistance. With both girls actively checking in on each other when participating in the different activities, they have evidently grown to be more empathetic and caring.
Caring for others: Zixuan (in white) and Netra (in denim) making kinetic sand for non-communicative patients
Even beyond spending time together at Oasis@Outram, Zixuan and Netra remain connected to each other via Instagram, where they frequently exchange Reels – a pleasant surprise for the Star PALS team as their friendship had blossomed beyond the expectations we initially had for the pair.
At HCA, our patients are never alone in their transformative journey. In addition to the Project Twilight team, Zixuan and Netra now have each other to discover and experience life with – a formative part of every teen’s adolescent years. They have found a friend in each other.