“Recovered Grace: Schizophrenia - A true, unusual and inspiring story; a heart wrenching journey through a dreadful mental disorder.” The book was published in 2005.

While Prof Kua’s book is a third party narrative of some people struggling with mental illness, “Recovered Grace” is an autobiography of Harris Ng. “Harris Ng was educated at Raffles Institution in Singapore. He went to Canada to further his studies in civil engineering… There he was struck with schizophrenia and returned to Singapore only to suffer repeated traumatic relapses from the brain disease for 16 long years. However for the next 16 years, he has progressed from being a recovered patient to a model caregiver and an advocate in the mental health movement. He has fought and overcome the shame and secrecy of the disease. He wrote the book in tears, and with a loving heart to inspire HOPE in those who need it. He has emphasized that there is a human being behind the brain, or in his case, his battered brain cells.”

The book traces Harris’s personal experience with schizophrenia, the treatment he underwent and his life after “a dreadful mental disorder”.. Most heart wrenching is Harris’s account of his challenges during the ailment in trying to lead a normal life of earning a living and finding and holding onto a job. While still continuing with his treatment, Harris got married to Violet, who was fully aware of his medical past. “Violet was a courageous women who believed in love. She married me despite my mental illness”.

Violet is Harris’s source of strength and inspiration. Whenever Harris has a nightmare, she would be there to re-assure him, “Do not be dragged down by the PAST, for it is already gone. Whatever that was painful was over. The past is history, and if we do need to study and remember history, we do it in order to learn to do good, not to follow and practice the dark schemes that had existed before. Do not be anxious about the FUTURE, the future has not yet come. Whatever foreboding thoughts about the future may not happen, and it is an unnecessary drain on our emotions and on our energy to forever burden ourselves with unwholesome thoughts of the future… As for the PRESENT, it is here… the true challenge. We do our best each day and walk our life step by step”.

Harris Ng has appeared on MediaCorp Television, and has been featured in The New Paper, Lian He Wan Bao and The Sunday Times. He has also written and shared his story in The Straits Times. Harris’s book has already been transcribed into braille for the blind. The book is being translated into Mandarin and will be available soon. Harris is looking for sponsors to fund the publication of a Bahasa Indonesia edition.

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