EIGHT REASONS WHY I AM A CATHOLIC, with Guest DR. MELANIE YEOH
A Doctor who draws cartoons for God
SMITTEN BY FAITH ISSUE # 0004 28th August 2021
MEET TODAY’S SPECIAL GUEST, A YOUNG MEDICAL DOCTOR WITH A DIPLOMA IN THEOLOGY WHO DRAWS CARTOONS FOR GOD -
Dr. MELANIE YEOH from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Dr. Melanie Yeoh ; Courtesy of Melanie Yeoh ©Melanie Yeoh
Dr. Melanie Yeoh ( Mel) is a millennial, a medical doctor practising in Kuala Lumpur. Mel wears her Catholic faith proudly and is super delighted with the Diploma in Theology which she recently obtained from the Vidyajhoti College of Theology in India. Mel’s family comes from the fascinating Chinese global diaspora - her mother, a medical doctor was a British citizen born in Taiwan; her architect father and his parents were Malaysians from Penang; her maternal grandmother, a Chinese from Surinam and her maternal grandfather from Mauritius, an engineer with the British Engineering Corps who helped build some amazing feats of engineering all over the world.
So where does Mel live and work ? Mel’s parents met at graduate school in the UK and moved to live in Malaysia when they married. So, Malaysia where Mel was born and bred is home for her and her sister Monica. Although Mel’s parents have sadly passed away not too long ago, their legacy was not just their firm Catholic faith but unshakeable catholic (universal) values of generosity and compassion. As a family unit, they were all actively involved in various community welfare projects. Of her parents, Mel says, “…the world would be a much better place if more people were like my parents with their love for all people, no matter their background; their love for the environment and their unshakeable faith and principles. That's how I want to be.”
Why MEDICINE ? Mel chose to be a doctor because she had the perfect example of her mother to emulate; not just as a physician but also, as a very committed humanitarian. Mel’s mother had her own medical practice and she never turned away the poor and disadvantaged. In Mel’s case, after medical school and working at a hospital, she quickly moved to work full time as a private doctor at the ARRUPE CLINIC in Kuala Lumpur, a UNHCR sponsored NGO clinic under A.C.T.S ( ‘A Call to Serve’ ) which provides medical consultation and outpatient treatment for refugees . The clinic also has a convalescent home ( PERCH ) and mobile clinics out in the jungles and in immigration detention centres. For Mel, working for A.C.T.S and PERCH brings back fond memories of how her mother, who also volunteered at A.C.T.S would find time on weekends ( with her two little daughters in tow ) to go out to the jungles of Putrajaya and Cameron Highlands to help at jungle mobile clinics. So, today, it was only natural for Mel to want to help refugees, just as her mother did. About her work at the refugee clinic Mel says, “ I am not paid as much as I would in usual private clinics, but I have OODLES and OODLES of job satisfaction with my refugee patients.”
WHY THEOLOGY ? As mentioned, Mel recently completed her Diploma in Theology at the Vidyajhoti College of Theology in India. Mel says that she wanted to have a more coherent and organised knowledge of her faith; learning about God at the deepest level. Regarding her missionary zeal, Mel says that it’s “…it’s really cool to be Catholic because it helps to have a good solid faith when bad things happen in life. I want to be able to share that with people but in a low key, practical sort of way.”
WHY CARTOONS ? Mel only started drawing in 2017 when at her English cousin's wedding in Ireland, she met her Australian cousins who lived in Akureyri, Iceland. With only a small Catholic community there, her cousin’s 10 year old son Gabriel was getting bored at mass. So, that inspired Mel to draw some fun cartoons based on the Gospel for Gabriel to read. Her drawings were an instant success. Mel had discovered her hidden talent and her prolific drawings just grew from there. In spite of her medical practice, Mel still finds time to draw; she finds it quite therapeutic; and now she sees her cartoons as a way to pass on the amazing life lessons that she learnt from her parents.
AND HERE BELOW, MEL SHARES WITH US HER WHIMSICAL AND INSPIRING CARTOONS.
( Editor’s note – To reflect the spontaneity of the moment, the Cartoons have been drawn in free-hand and have not been professionally touched up or digitized. )
EIGHT REASONS WHY I AM A CATHOLIC
By Dr. MELANIE YEOH, 28th August - Kuala Lumpur
Dr. Melanie Yeoh ; Courtesy of Melanie Yeoh ©Melanie Yeoh
Dr. Melanie Yeoh ; Courtesy of Melanie Yeoh ©Melanie Yeoh
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