A Caregiver Engagement & Fundraising Initiative by Word Image and Margaret Ong, Author of One Husband Two Men
Caregiving for a loved one with a mental health condition can be a negative, draining experience. How do caregivers cope and see it as an opportunity to create a deeper bond with their loved one and grow positively through the experience?
In this second session, Margaret will be joined by Word Image Owners & Directors who are strong mental health advocates. Hoe Fang cares for his wife Wai Han who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Hear both sides of the story as they recall the highs and lows that they have experienced on their individual journeys.
This is part of Margaret’s efforts to help fellow caregivers of persons with mental health issues, and to raise funds for CAL. Together we hope to empower caregivers to achieve a higher level of well-being and resilience in their journeys.
Participants are invited to purchase a copy of One Husband Two Men via Word Image. A portion of sales from books purchased between now and April 2022 will be donated to CAL.
About the Book
This is a detailed account of how to preserve yourself and your family while helping your loved one recover from mental illness in dignity.
Margaret candidly shares about the journey with her husband whose bizarre behaviour eventually led to the diagnosis of schizophrenia. A true love story of empathy, courage, commitment and perseverance. She now understands her “limit after going through this humbling experience dealing with schizophrenia.”
She writes, “The journey of primary caregiving has helped me to mature spiritually and taught me the core meaning of faith, enduring love, empathy and social responsibility for others. It has opened my eyes to see the plight of those in a similar boat as Leslie’s.”
“Margaret draws her strength to persevere in helping her husband through her deep love for him and through the support from professionals, fellow caregivers and God.” – Dr Sally Thio, Executive Director, Caring for Life
“Because we measure love by human standards, it can be hard to imagine what it means to love unconditionally. Our ability to sustain love for each other is highly dependent on what we can get out of the relationship. In moments when the person you are called to love seems entirely unlovable, can you still love him? Margaret Ong certainly can! You will laugh and cry with her as she provides very practical tips on how to communicate with our husband, sons, psychiatrists and counsellors. Caregivers can benefit much from her insights and feel empowered to lead a normal life.” – Anonymous
About the Author
Prior to 2013, Margaret Ong was Vice President at Hewlett Packard, Asia Pacific & Japan, located in Singapore. After her husband’s diagnosis, she became a Caregiver Volunteer Trainer with Caregivers Alliance Limited (CAL) in 2014, co-facilitating the caregivers-to-caregivers (C2C) training programme, and participating in advocacy talks to help reduce the stigma around mental illness.
Since January 2020, she has been involved with Caring for Life (CFL), a non-profit organisation that seeks to establish a community approach to early identification of suicide ideation and care. She is currently one of their volunteer trainers.
About the Publisher
Word Image is an independent hybrid publisher and publishing agent providing editorial services. They offer readers a carefully curated selection of books at reasonable prices. They aim to bring in books with diverse views of society and community which may not be available in mainstream bookstores.
A big thank you to Word Image for initiating this virtual book launch and fundraiser for CAL. Do check out their unique selection of titles.
Details
Topic: The Shift in Mindset Towards Caregiving
Date: 5 January 2022, Wednesday
Time: 7:00pm – 8:30pm, including Q&A session
Venue: Online via Zoom Details will be emailed to all participants by 27 December 2021, Monday
Panellists: Ms Margaret Ong
Caregiver to Spouse with Schizophrenia
Author of One Husband Two Men
Mr Fong Hoe Fang
Caregiver to Spouse Mdm Chan Wai Han with Bipolar Disorder
Owner & Director, Word Image Pte Ltd
Mdm Chan Wai Han
Person-in-Recovery diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder
Owner & Director, Word Image Pte Ltd
Registration URL: Registration is now closed.
The session will be recorded. By participating in the virtual fundraising book launch, you automatically give us consent for you to be recorded with your camera on and name on the screen, or your camera off and name appearing on the recording. If you do not consent to being recorded, please do not register for the session and instead you may watch the recording which will be available one week later on this page.
We welcome everyone to join us for an interactive panel discussion session with Margaret and her guests.
Past Sessions
Comments