SINGAPORE — When he was four months old, Mr Shalom Lim Ern Rong was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which means his muscles lose strength progressively.

His condition is so precarious he almost choked to death on phlegm when he was in Secondary Four because of a severe bout of pneumonia.

“I can see how people weaker than me are still pressing on, so I should actually continue and not feel depressed,” the 20-year-old said, when asked how he motivated himself to excel in his studies, citing physicist Stephen Hawking as his inspiration.

For Mr Bryan Chong Wei Ren, who was diagnosed with bilateral profound hearing loss since he was an infant, the challenge of learning in secondary school was compounded by peers who made fun of his impairment, laughing off his ability to complete his studies.

Determined to prove his bullies wrong, Mr Chong, 22, shut out their taunts, and with the support of his family, scored a place in Nanyang Technological University’s psychology course.

Today (Oct 14), the duo received the Asia Pacific Breweries Foundation Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities this year. Started in 2004, the scholarship has been awarded to 31 recipients. They get S$12,000 a year, disbursed in two equal payments annually, to pay for their tuition fees in local universities. There is no bond for the scholarship.

The third scholarship recipient was Mr Josiah Ong Qing You, who was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome in 2007, when he was 14. The condition causes tics, or repeated, involuntary movements or vocal sounds.

Mr Ong, who is now 22, said before he was diagnosed, these uncontrollable movements had been seen by those around him as a bad habit he should kick. Recounting what he went through, he said: “You let people tell you that it is a bad habit and that you can control it, it sinks into you. So you go like, ‘Yeah, why can’t I control it?’ then you blame yourself. But after you (are diagnosed), you realise there are more people out there and it’s not just you, and it’s actually not your fault.”

Mr Ong is now pursuing a degree in business administration from the National University of Singapore.

Asked about their aspirations, the trio said they want to inspire and help others facing similar adversities they have gone through.

Mr Lim, for instance, said he wants to start a social group to help others overcome challenges. “Because I’ve seen people with my condition, either (facing) bullying or not (having) enough support, (and) they don’t go to school because of that. I’d like to raise awareness of this and get more support from the schools,” he added.