How a former rugby captain became a beacon of hope at an MWS Nursing Home
1st January 2026

How a former rugby captain became a beacon of hope at an MWS Nursing Home

A Mandarin song fills the room from a small portable FM radio on the bedside table of Teo Wei Bin, a 40-year-old resident of MWS Nursing Home – Yew Tee (YTNH), who has been bedridden and uncommunicative since suffering a stroke eight years ago.

Standing beside him, pastoral care volunteer Lee Wei Kong gently strokes his forehead and massages his arms and legs, singing along enthusiastically to the lyrics. When asked if Wei Bin ever responds, he smiled and said, “Sometimes, he looks at my face.” In moments like these, ministry becomes less about conversation and more about presence—offering dignity, comfort and the quiet assurance that this life remains seen, valued and loved.

For the past few years, Wei Kong has been faithfully visiting residents at MWS YTNH. But his bond with Wei Bin runs deeper because he once walked a similar path.

A life-changing accident

As captain of the Anglo-Chinese Junior College rugby team, 17-year-old Wei Kong was a rising athlete with a bright future ahead. But one morning, while dashing across the road on his way to Barker Road Methodist Church (BRMC), a taxi hit him. The collision caused severe head and spinal injuries, leaving him in a semi-vegetative state.

“The news spread quickly that Wei Kong had been in an accident and was fighting for his life in the ICU,” recalled his father, Lee Swee Chit, who spent two weeks keeping vigil at the hospital with his wife while their son lay in critical condition. “By evening, I was astonished to see so many of his friends and their parents gathering at the hospital to pray for him.”

Wei Kong cheering on ACJC at an inter-school rugby match in 2005, six months after his accident

When prayer and compassion spark a miracle

Having been raised in a Taoist household and practising the faith himself, Swee Chit’s first instinct after the crisis was to call his mother and mother-in-law to visit the temple and obtain protective talismans. But what he encountered at the hospital caused him to pause. “Dozens of people were lining the corridor outside the ICU praying for my son,” he said. “I recognised some of the rugby boys and their parents, but most were strangers to me. Every night, someone’s parent would come by to talk to us, buy us coffee, and pray for us. I didn’t understand Christian prayers, but I felt a genuine sense of love from this community.”

I didn’t understand Christian prayers, but I felt a genuine sense of love from this community. ~ Lee Swee Chit

During this period, Wei Kong’s family visited BRMC to pray for him. After the service, a group of church elders, including the late Benjamin Tan, prayed over them. Later that day at the hospital, Swee Chit noticed a familiar figure outside the ICU: it was Benjamin.

“He asked if he could pray by Wei Kong’s bedside,” Swee Chit recalled. “Afterwards, he told me that while praying, he saw a vision of Wei Kong holding a rugby ball and playing again. When he taught us how to pray, I asked if my prayers would be effective since I wasn’t a Christian. He replied that it would be better if I were one. Immediately, I said I wanted to become a Christian. Looking back, I realised the Holy Spirit was already working in my heart. For the past 14 days, I had been deeply moved by the Christian love shown to us.”

Benjamin then led the family in the sinner’s prayer. “I hadn’t slept properly in two weeks, so I was feeling exhausted, depressed, even suicidal,” Swee Chit said. “But the moment we finished praying, I felt complete relief, and hope replaced fear. I told Jesus, ‘I now surrender my son into your hands. I’m going home to sleep.’” That afternoon, he and his wife returned home and slept three uninterrupted hours, the “best rest [he] had experienced since the accident”. When they returned to the ICU, a doctor greeted them with, “Mr Lee, I have good news. Your son is no longer in danger. We’re preparing to move him out of the ICU.”

Wei Kong (in red T-shirt) and his family

A walking testimony

Today, Wei Kong is a living miracle—a testament of God’s grace. Once unable to walk or speak after the accident, he has regained full physical mobility. Though he continues to struggle with speech difficulties, he refuses to let them hinder his creative pursuits.

The 38-year-old father of two and LASALLE fine arts graduate—currently between jobs—earns an income through commissioned art projects and the sale of curated art merchandise on the Da Vinci Project, a platform that supports creators with challenging conditions by showcasing their work through digital media and storytelling. Founder Marc Wong hopes the platform will be “a testament of God’s goodness, grace and favour by giving beneficiaries like Wei Kong, who have survived unimaginable odds, a safe space to showcase their talent”.

When he is not immersed in his art, Wei Kong volunteers. Beyond MWS YTNH, he also visits residents at other healthcare institutions, sharing his healing testimony with them. “If no one visits them, they’ll be lonely,” he said. “Volunteering gives me a purpose. I get to share with others how good God is. He is my source of hope and my anchor.”

Keen to make a difference in someone’s life? Join us as an MWS volunteer at https://mws.sg/volunteer or email volunteer@mws.sg.

This article first appeared in Methodist Message produced by The Methodist Church in Singapore.

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