Jan. 8 marks four years since my family welcomed my animal companion, Pandan, into our home to foster.
Since the new year began, I have been reflecting on how such companionship enters our lives quietly and unexpectedly, and without ceremony. Pandan is a rescued street dog, known locally as a “Singapore Special,” a term for mixed-breed dogs commonly found across the island. He was rescued from Johor, the Malaysian state closest to Singapore, and named after the park where he was found and the pandan leaf, widely used in Southeast Asian cooking.
By the time Pandan arrived, several animals had already accompanied me in my life with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic condition that causes progressive muscle weakness and, for many of us, leads to full-time wheelchair use and assisted breathing by adulthood. The disease, which also affects heart function, impacts daily routines, and those needs increase over time.
I was 4 when my parents first brought my siblings and me to a pet shop. I was still walking then, and could move freely, chase a cat across the floor, lose my balance, and laugh it off. I had already been diagnosed with Duchenne, but its impact hadn’t yet fully arrived in my body or my awareness. We had a therapy cat briefly, but my mother developed a severe allergy, and he had to be returned to his owner barely a week after we fostered him. A year later, we adopted Blessie, a golden retriever from Australia, who stayed with us from 2000 until she died in 2014.
A constant presence though a changing disease
Growing up with Duchenne means living with change. Strength fades. Movements that once felt natural require planning, equipment, and assistance.
Blessie was with me as I went from being able to walk to having to use a wheelchair. She was there through hospitalizations, school transitions, and the slow recalibration of what independence meant. After she died, a neighbor’s cat, Juju, visited our home every day for two years. He appeared during a tense period when I was adjusting to a new wheelchair that did not work well for my hands, and when I was having to deal with difficult conversations about my future.
Pandan came into my life much later, after I had reached adulthood. By then, my world was shaped by caregiving routines, medical decisions, and the weight of loss and survival.
From my experience, pets can play a meaningful role in emotional grounding for people living with Duchenne, from childhood to adulthood. Pandan has been there for me through some of the most difficult and transformative years of my adult life, from near-death hospitalizations and family strain to returning to work, falling in love, rediscovering art, building an inclusive business, and being recognized for disability advocacy. He did not grow up with my Duchenne, but he has accompanied me with quiet steadiness throughout it.
Now that Pandan is older and less steady on his own, I want to be more involved in caring for him. It feels like a natural extension of gratitude. Happy fourth “Gotcha Day,” Pandan!
Note: Muscular Dystrophy News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Muscular Dystrophy News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to muscular dystrophy.
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