A father’s journey of love and learning: How he donated a kidney to his daughter while pursuing his master’s

When Mr Benjamin Chua started his master’s degree over two years ago, he was also caring for his two-year-old daughter with end-stage renal disease.

His days began with terminating her dialysis machine in the morning, continued with full-time work and night classes, leaving just enough time to review his notes before going to bed. Throughout the night, he would also have to wake up intermittently to manage the dialysis machine whenever the alarm signaled that the tubing had curled.

Earlier this year, the 35-year-old completed his postgraduate programme, turning what seemed impossible into reality.

He recalls: “I thought really hard if I should pursue my master’s and I decided to press on. Looking at how things were going, I am convinced that there will never be a good time. Furthermore to miss an achievement, not because I failed, but because I never tried in the first place, was unacceptable to me.”

It was this determination that drove him to take up the Master of Education (Developmental Psychology) at the National Institute of Education (NIE) in January 2022.

While studying, Mr Chua underwent surgery to donate his kidney to his daughter, who had become eligible for a transplant when she turned four.

None of this would have been possible without the help of those around him, says Mr Chua.

 

At the heart of Mr Chua’s support system was his wife, whose role proved invaluable. While also working full-time in the uniformed services and pregnant with their second child, she partnered with him in managing their daughter’s daily needs, setting up the dialysis machine whenever he had to attend class.

His academic journey was equally supported by understanding professors and helpful classmates at NIE.

His professors went out of their way to accommodate his unique situation, providing guidance through emails and coaching him after class to ensure he fully understood the topics. Classmates stepped in to help whenever medical emergencies or work commitments kept him away from class.

This support network proved especially crucial during his surgery and recovery. For instance, when he had to miss lessons, Mr Chua relied on notes from his classmates to stay on track and maintain his grades.

Turning knowledge into action

NIE offered him flexibility without compromising the rigour of his education. The knowledge he learnt is now being applied to his work and across different fields.

Mr Chua, who came from an outdoor education background, found himself among classroom teachers and early childhood educators, each bringing their own experiences to discussions.

“What also helped was the learning culture of the classroom,” Mr Chua adds. “Discussions were robust yet respectful, professors facilitated effectively, and there was a good mix of professionals from different countries and specialisations.”

During his programme, he had the opportunity to interact with people from China and Vietnam.

Even before he completed the course, he was already making use of what he had learnt to design and develop a training programme for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as a cyber security staff officer, such as a security awareness programme for his department.

“The NIE programme taught me how to integrate instructional scaffolding into the overall plan,” says Mr Chua, referring to a teaching technique where educators gradually reduce their support as students become more competent at tasks.

The knowledge from his degree continued to serve him well in his subsequent role as a deputy division manager in ST Engineering Group.

The division is made up of employees ranging in age from their early 20s to their 50s. Mr Chua made use of his knowledge of developmental psychology to tailor materials and delivery styles according to the different staff profiles.

For Mr Chua, earning an advanced degree in education carries special meaning, given his past as a delinquent student who neglected his studies.

“Lots of times, when I was in school, I never knew the relevance of what I was taught,” he says. “But now I have the capability to change my teaching approach as a trainer, to make things different from a traditional classroom.”

“These days, we are in a position of information abundance. There is always going to be a need to process, distil and pass on new information,” he says.

“So regardless of which industry you are in, teaching and pedagogical skills are always going to be transferable. You are always going to need to teach, and you are always going to need to learn.”

NIE has a diverse range of graduate programmes at master’s and doctoral levels catering to different areas of expertise, from Education to Arts and Sciences. The August 2025 intake is now open and will close in January 2025. Interested applicants with a bachelor’s degree are encouraged to find out more about NIE’s graduate programmes here.

Read the original article here. 

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.