All this changes, however, whenever he takes part in a run. Patrick becomes focused: he will go the distance, no matter how far, and bring home a finisher medal!
Since May last year, the lad has participated in over 30 runs across the Klang Valley. And his passion has not gone unrecognised: on Sept 29, the spirited young runner was honoured by the Malaysian Book of Records (MBR) for “Most Public Runs Participation for a Child with a Liver Transplant”.
“I’m very happy for him. I think running has done good things for him. It’s made him healthier and fitter, and his legs have become stronger. It is also a great way for us to bond,” his mother Cordelia Lee told FMT Lifestyle.
“I like to run to get medals. And I get to play,” Patrick chimed in with a smile.
As an infant, he had been diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts. A year later, tests revealed he also had Alagille syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting organ systems including the liver, heart, skeleton, eyes and kidneys.
Thankfully, he received a liver transplant from his father and is doing fine today.
Lee shared that her son became interested in running after they spotted an online advertisement for a running event, where participants who finished would bring home a medal with a unicorn.
“At first I tried to discourage him from joining, because if he went, it meant I had to run with him!” Lee quipped.
The two ended up participating and Patrick received his unicorn medal. To Lee’s surprise, the experience gave her boy a taste for running, and he was raring for the next one!
Concerned for his health, Lee first took him for a medical checkup. Doctors said running shouldn’t be a problem – in fact, they recommended it, as long as Lee kept her eye out for any ill-health effects.
Thus began his record-breaking participations, the official MBR tally of which is 33 runs. But Patrick has since surpassed that number, with at least 38 events under his belt as of press time.
These include the 5km Coway Run, the 5km Durian Fun Run, the 7km Snoopy Run, and the 7km Baby Shark Run.
Patrick’s time on these runs has also improved: while his first outing took him about two hours, he can now complete runs in less than an hour.
Owing to his age, the lad cannot officially participate in 10km events; anything under that is usually fair game. Patrick enjoys 5km, 6km and 7km runs, and is excited to try longer distances when he is older.
Lee and her son are now members of Little Fighter Runners, a non-governmental organisation that offers therapeutic activities to children with special needs.
He also runs to support other children with health issues, such as his friends Khayla and Furqan, who are fellow liver-transplant patients.
Patrick dreams of one day running for Malaysia, and Lee believes if he continues to show such motivation for running in the future, professional training might be on the cards.
For now, she’s just happy he has found an activity he’s so passionate about. “I’m glad not just because my son has been recognised – this record is also a good way to raise awareness about organ donation, which saved my son’s life.
“The rate of organ donation in Malaysia is quite low, and more people need to be aware of its importance. I hope it also shows people the power of running, and how it can transform lives,” she concluded.
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