Then, Mr Yeo began losing his abilities one by one. Swimming half a lap became challenging, buttoning a shirt was a monumental struggle, and friends were shocked to see how much weight he had lost.
In January 2023, he went for a check-up, and the diagnosis came back a month later. His world crumbled right before his eyes.
In 2021, after a distinguished career of over 20 years in public service, Mr Yeo left his comfort zone to start his own business, Light My Path Consulting, offering corporate, learning, and workshop facilitation.
He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Osaka University, Japan, and a Master’s in Business Administration from the BI Norwegian School of Management, Norway.
He was director of the Public Service Commission Secretariat in the Prime Minister’s Office, institute director of governance and policy at the Civil Service College, and senior director of arts and heritage in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
His business engagements took him across the region, allowing him to savour both work and life at his own pace. He also helped other Asian countries, such as Bhutan’s Royal Civil Service Commission, to transform its civil service.
A single parent after his wife died of breast cancer in 2013 at age 39, Mr. Yeo and his daughter, now 18, travelled the globe, visiting places like South Africa, British Columbia, the Galapagos Islands, and the Arctic Circle.
He also served actively in his church in various capacities, including as a Sunday school teacher.
His current work, written primarily in English with some poems or lines in Singlish, Mandarin, Malay, Japanese, and Cantonese, reflects Singapore’s multicultural tapestry. They are also intercultural, with dialogues between different cultures such as Malay and English in his poem, Ode to Ondeh-Ondeh.
President Tharman Shanmugaratnam wrote in the book that “Whee Jim’s poetry, instructed by life’s transience, is both deeply poignant and liberating. Reading him, on hope, on capsizing on the river of life and flipping things over, on rethinking, and on love, is to know ourselves better.”
Mr Yeo said the book started off narrowly from his own selfish perspective to leave a legacy and help his daughter understand how he is feeling.
“But it’s also my humble wish now that it will help those struggling with illnesses, faith, life, relationships – maybe give them some hope, solace and comfort.”
He acknowledged that he had a fulfilling life.
Today, he moves around on a wheelchair, and needs help with bathing and eating. He takes medication to slow down the disease’s progression. It costs him $20 a pill, and he has to pop it twice a day.
He shut his company in April, and spends his days reconnecting with friends and renewing relationships. He does not know if he will be physically able to write again, considering his swift degeneration.
“Perhaps my next project is staying alive,” he said. “My muscles ache, my joints are tight, and I get breathless easily. It’s a prolonged sense of discomfort that will only get worse.”
Reflecting on life’s unpredictability, he said:“We tend to think we have tomorrow, next week, next year, but sometimes in life, things can change very quickly. Don’t overthink things, just do it.”
Just like his first poetry collection, which he said could be his last.
Itinerary can be bought at https://bit.ly/43WlfIO and Kinokuniya at $30 (before GST). Hard cover copies are $40 before GST (limited copies available). Net proceeds from the sales will be donated to the Motor Neurone Disease Association Singapore.
