Blessing in Disguise
Shalom Lim is the co-founder and managing director of Rebirth Ensemble LLP, Singapore’s first disability-led art consultancy. Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and diagnosed with inattentive ADHD at 26, he has faced profound challenges yet continues to turn difference into purpose. Today, he is a writer, artist, and advocate for neurodivergence in DMD, using art and storytelling to build inclusion and inspire resilience in others.
Quotes
“ADHD has allowed me to thrive through creativity, hyperfocus, and passionate engagement. It has given me resilience, empathy, and a strong drive to advocate through the arts and storytelling — key ingredients in creating impact.”
“I want people with ADHD to be seen as capable, creative, and resilient. ADHD isn’t a disorder but a deeper way of experiencing the world. With support and understanding, we can thrive.”
Early Struggles
ADHD showed up throughout my life but was masked by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). I struggled with procrastination, forgetfulness, attention, and time management. It wasn’t until I began working that I realised something deeper was at play.
I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in October 2022 at age 26. That diagnosis brought essential clarity to lifelong struggles. Living with ADHD, alongside emotional dysregulation and rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), has been the most difficult challenge of my life, more than DMD. That may surprise many who think a fatal neuromuscular condition is the worst thing imaginable. But the lack of awareness and acceptance of my neurodivergence has caused more invisible suffering than my physical disability ever has.
Turning Points
A key turning point came in 2022 when I joined K9Assistance just two months after surviving near-fatal dengue and six months after leaving my first job at a research nonprofit. It followed a relentless period: Religious trauma in 2019, my brother Isaac’s death that December, the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, and a spiral of isolation, anxiety, and depression that peaked when I failed my undergraduate dissertation in May 2021. That failure triggered months of suicidal ideation.
It was brutal but transformative. I began asserting agency, growing more independent, and reframing my differences not as flaws but as symptoms of unmanaged ADHD shaped by life experiences.
Research shows that ADHD affects 32% of DMD patients because dystrophin plays a key role in brain growth. Autism affects 16%. Healthcare systems often overlook neurodivergence in DMD, especially in Asia, where they prioritize physical care over psychosocial well-being. This must change. I aim to bring neurodivergence in DMD into the spotlight, equal to other areas of neurodiversity.
Finding Strategies
Structure and planning are vital for me. I use Google Calendar to manage appointments and Google Keep for tasks and notes. I break things into steps and build in buffer time. Talking to others helps me process and prioritise, and regular check-ins with people I trust keep me grounded.
These tools don’t erase my challenges, but they make daily life more manageable and give me the confidence to keep pushing forward.
Pride and Strengths
I am proudest of raising over $100,000 with my brother Isaac for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore) through our art books. We were child artists with DMD. Isaac, diagnosed with autism at four, spoke little, yet inspired many, especially me. His life and legacy helped me embrace my neurodivergence.
His autism was diagnosed and accepted early; mine was not, which made growing up confusing and isolating. After he died, I began discovering who I truly was. I owe him more than words can say.
ADHD has allowed me to thrive through creativity, hyperfocus, and passionate engagement. It has given me resilience, empathy, and a strong drive to advocate through the arts and storytelling — key ingredients in creating impact.
Reflections
If I could advise my younger self, I’d say: Being different is a blessing in disguise. You’re who you know you are, not what others say.
I want the world to see people with ADHD for their strengths: capability, creativity, and resilience. ADHD isn’t a disorder but a deeper way of experiencing the world. With support and understanding, we can thrive. We all deserve acceptance and respect, even when our challenges are invisible.
Where I Am Today
Today, I’m the co-founder and managing director of Rebirth Ensemble LLP, Singapore’s first disability-led art consultancy focused on fine art access. I also work part-time in marketing communications at Shalom Medcare, publish fortnightly patient columns for Muscular Dystrophy News Today, and serve with the Disabled People’s Association and MDAS. My debut play is set to be read this November at ART:DIS. My family, my girlfriend Amanda, and our shared drive to make a meaningful impact keep me grounded.
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