Imagine if you
have just three days to live, what would you do? What impact would you have in
the world with just three days? Many would think that it is impossible to make
any difference to the world we live in even with years to live, what more three
days. However, I am here to tell you that those people are wrong, because you
can make difference where you are even with a mere three days.
What makes me
say that? Well, a three-days old small little girl did just that. A girl who
was diagnosed with Edward syndrome (Trisomy 18) when she was still in her
mothers womb, made a difference and a major impact in Malaysia and many parts
of the world the 3 days she was in the world.
A little background to what is Edward syndrome also known as
Trisomy 18. Edward's syndrome is an inborn chromosomal abnormality that causes a
characteristic pattern of anatomical defects in a newborn child and has major
implications for that baby's health and survival. (Read more about it: http://bit.ly/TEJseb)
Who is this
little girl? Her name is Destiny Zoe Oh. She was born on 15th of May
2012 with Edward Syndrome (Trisomy 18). However, she succumbed to numerous
physical complications and passed away 3 days later on the 18th of
May 2012.
Despite living
for a mere three day, Destiny made a profound impact on all those who have
heard her story. To date, her Youtube channel (www.youtube.com/DestinyOhTV) has garnered
more 19,000 video views, and on 21st of May 2012, the Twitter tag
#DestinyOh trended at number three in Malaysia surpassing even the likes of
Mark Zuckerberg.
Destiny is the
daughter of David Oh, 41, a lawyer turned Entrepreneur and author of CafeDavid
volume 1 & 2, and Shirley Boon, 31, a full time church worker at City
Harvest Church, Kuala Lumpur, chose not to abort Destiny despite discovering
that she had a one percent risk of being afflicted with Edwards Syndrome at the
end of the first trimester.
“We decided that
no matter what happened, I will carry Destiny to full-term because we believe
that every life is precious” shared Boon.
Destiny Zoe Oh’s
impact was even more evident when more than 700 people turned up for her
funeral as news of her death spread through social media.
“Even though our
daughter only lived for three days, it amazed us how much she touched the lives
of others. She fought so hard to live those few days and her spirit of not
giving up until the end had inspired others to live their lives with courage,”
Oh explained.
Destiny’s impact
was so profound that her parents and to continue the legacy left behind by
Destiny, David and Shirley, decided to turn her story into a documentary that
will be used to spread her story all around the world.
With the support
of CityCare, that documentary was done and premiered on the 9th of
November with an attendance of 300 people, and the proceeds of over RM4000 from
the sale of the documentary are donated to Malaysian Rare Disorders Society.
Malaysian Rare Disorders Society
(MRDS) was formed in 2004, with the help and guidance of the Genetic Unit,
Department of Paediatrics, University Malaya Medical Centre. MRDS is a voluntary organization set-up to represent and look
out for the welfare of individuals including their families that are affected
by rare disorders.
“Destiny may have only lived for
three day, but she continues to touch lives today and will continue to make a
difference for years to come. Her legacy has only just begun” – David Oh.
Destiny’s story teaches us not to take life for granted, and live it to the fullest of your abilities. Lets carry
on Destiny’s legacy and make a difference wherever we are. If Destiny can
impact so many lives in just three days, we who have more can do greater things
to impact the world.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of
the documentary, #DestinyOh, please visit www.DestinyOh.com for more details.
Read Destiny Zoe Oh's full story here: http://bit.ly/KeTzSa
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