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Interview with Hector Chen: Push to the Limits to Explore Ourselves



Hector Chen’s Story

I was in Toronto at the time, skiing. After we skied, we went to an outdoor hot tub. A block of ice hit me. I became unconscious after that. I went under the water and I don’t remember what happened next. Apparently they pulled me up and there was a doctor who helped me there. I was unconscious for two weeks. My right side of the body isn’t working anymore. I am very thankful for my parents and my sister. My wife who separated with me about five years ago helped me a lot at the time. Although it didn’t work out for us, I am very grateful for her. I can’t imagine what it would be like without her help.


The Changes After the Injury

What changed the most after my injury was the fact that I couldn’t talk. I had no words after my injury. I am bilingual. I speak Cantonese and English. After the injury, my Cantonese became my primary language but people here don’t speak Canto. It was hard for me to flip flop between languages. I have gotten a lot better. It isn’t that I can’t recall the words, it is just hard to swap languages. It’s hard to manage sometimes.


Since my accident, I haven’t been able to work. I for sure miss my work. I tried to go to UBC for school, but it wasn’t really clicking. Now I volunteer at the food bank. It has been keeping me active in the community. I have worked out a set structure for my life which helped me a lot. Once COVID hit, everything was closed. But I need to do something. So I turned to volunteering. The Burnaby warehouse is within walking distance for me and I help out there. It wasn’t big of a deal before COVID. However, after the outbreak, I need to get out rather than being stuck in a room. I have always been an active person.


His Piece of Advice for the Young Generation

Always seek opportunities. I used to be a triathlon athlete. It was very freeing for the mind. But I am not able to do it right now. Every step is hard. After the pandemic hit, I bought an indoor bike to exercise and I have been really happy with it. We need to push ourselves to the limits to explore ourselves.


Interview with Jolie Wu.



The content on this website is intended solely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon for medical guidance, diagnosis, or treatment.
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