By David Ee, The Straits Times, 6 Jan 2014
FOURTEEN-year-old Tan Li Xuan, who had her right hand crushed in a sugarcane juicer accident two weeks ago, received a visit from a special guest yesterday - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
PM Lee posed for a photograph with Li Xuan and her family - who live in his Ang Mo Kio GRC ward - beside her bed at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
He posted it on Facebook yesterday and added: "Glad that she is healing, and she and her family are keeping their spirits up."
Li Xuan's mother Mabel Ang, 44, said her daughter had been inspired by PM's visit to "stay strong and carry on".
Post by Lee Hsien Loong.
He posted it on Facebook yesterday and added: "Glad that she is healing, and she and her family are keeping their spirits up."
Li Xuan lost two fingers and partially severed her thumb in the accident at her father's hawker stall in Toa Payoh. She underwent operations to save her digit by transplanting a toe onto it, and also had skin grafts on her badly lacerated arm.
PM Lee also shared with the Guangyang Secondary student a tale of inspiration from the history books - that of US civil war veteran John Wesley Powell.
Powell lost his arm in the war, but went on to pioneer an expedition in 1869 down the then uncharted Colorado River, becoming the first person to navigate through the Grand Canyon.
Said PM Lee in his post: "I wished Li Xuan a speedy recovery and a successful rehabilitation, and encouraged her to continue to pursue her dreams."
Said PM Lee in his post: "I wished Li Xuan a speedy recovery and a successful rehabilitation, and encouraged her to continue to pursue her dreams."
Li Xuan's mother Mabel Ang, 44, said her daughter had been inspired by PM's visit to "stay strong and carry on".
She added that the PM had told the family not to worry about the hospital bill. The Tan family have been concerned that their medical insurance is insufficient to cover the as yet unknown cost.