Yoke Choo's Story
- imansim3
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
For Yoke Choo, everything changed when her eldest son was just 15. In a matter of weeks, he lost two of the people closest to him: his grandmother, who had lovingly raised him while both parents worked, and a close friend who died in a tragic accident.
Her son, once a bright student with a gift for art and writing, became selectively mute and deeply withdrawn. At school, he froze in class, unable to speak or even buy food. Social anxiety consumed him—he felt constantly judged. Some days, he locked himself in the toilet until the school called Yoke. Other days, he begged for medical leave, unable to face his lessons.
“At first, I kept asking myself, am I a bad parent? Why did this happen?” Yoke recalls.
The family sought help, moving from one counsellor to another. Even then, her son often couldn’t walk into the room without freezing. Eventually, he left school in Secondary 3 and began a long recovery journey—one that has now stretched nearly five years.
Today, at 20, he is slowly reclaiming his independence. He can order food, whisper during therapy sessions, and express himself through drawing.
Yoke credits Mindfull Community for helping her shift her own mindset. “I learnt that being sick is not something to be ashamed of,” she says. Unlike before, she now openly shares with friends and family that her son is on a recovery journey.
Through the sessions, she learnt to recognise symptoms, communicate gently without pushing too hard, and prioritise her own self-care. “I realised I’m not alone in this fight. There are many families going through the same thing.”
These lessons also transformed her relationship with her younger daughter, who developed anxiety after witnessing her brother’s struggles. This time, the family acted quickly—getting her professional help before things worsened.
It’s been a long road, but Yoke holds on to hope that her son will one day reintegrate into society, perhaps through his artistic talents. Together with his sister, they sell his artwork for extra pocket money.
Take a look at his charming drawings of their beloved fur baby, Cotton!
Read more about Yoke’s journey on The Straits Times: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/learning-to-be-a-caregiver-after-son-develops-anxiety-and-selective-mutism
Read more about Yoke’s journey on Lianhe Zaobao:
