Jackie and Joanne showing their marriage registration. — Photo via Facebook / Sarikeians
THERE is this old Chinese legend about an old-man fairy on the moon who oversees all marriages on Earth.
How he does this is by tying a red string to connect a man and a woman, somewhat in the same manner as Cupid in the Roman mythology uses an arrow to bring couples together.
Once linked by the red string, that man and woman are destined to be united and live happily ever after.
This was the analogy that national hammer-thrower Jackie Wong used when asked about the love story of him and his wife, Dr Joanne Tiong.
Jackie was infected with Covid-19 during the 2020 pandemic, when he was kept in isolation at Sibu Hospital for 73 days.
During those difficult times, he was being taken care of by Joanne, an anaesthesiologist who was among the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) staff at the time.
Jackie recovered from the infection, but there was another thing that struck him – love.
Fate had brought the two together, and their romance blossomed thereon.
On May 5 this year, Jackie, 32, and Joanne walked down the aisle of Wesley Methodist Church in Sibu and recited their vows. Joining them for the double ceremony was Jackie’s eldest brother Melvin Wong and his bride, Yumie Su.
It was a joyous and lively occasion, with cheer and admiration filling the church and also at the restaurant where the reception took place.
Among those in attendance were the Wong patriarch, former Sarikei MP Andrew Wong Ling Biu, and Jackie’s second eldest brother Senator Roderick Wong.
When contacted by thesundaypost quite recently, Jackie said he was in Europe for a long-awaited honeymoon.
“Fate brings us together, and we are grateful to all those who have been giving us the support and encouragement all these years, and also for making things happen,” he added.
‘Light amidst harrowing experience’
On March 7, 2020, Andrew was infected with the Covid-19 virus and sent to Sibu Hospital isolation ward for treatment.
Jackie might have contracted the virus after visiting his father.
It was during the height of the pandemic, when there was fear everywhere as the death toll and infection rates continued to skyrocket, and the economy was forced to a halt.
It was tragic to see so many succumbed to the deadly disease.
For the Wongs, things could not have been more worrisome. Andrew’s situation deteriorated – not long after he was admitted to the ICU, he slipped into a coma.
According to the doctors at that time, his internal organs had been so badly affected that his kidneys even stopped functioning.
Andrew was put on haemodialysis for eight times while he was unconscious.
Against everything, he survived 78 days of hospitalisation – including 42 when he was in a coma.
Andrew recovered without exhibiting any severe side effects.
Jackie, who was also placed at Sibu Hospital around the same time, had tested positive for Covid-19 nine times in a row.
File photo shows Jackie’s father, Andrew, being discharged from Sibu Hospital after 72 days of hospitalisation.
The national athlete, however, was not showing any sign of serious symptoms. This was highly attributed to him being younger and fitter.
“Still, it was a scary moment and I kept praying, hoping for things to get better.
“I knew it would take a while to recover and be discharged.
“I just hope that everything would end well for my family members, many of whom were also infected that time,” he recalled.
Eventually, after 73 days, Jackie was allowed to go home.
Photo taken in 2020, when Jackie was being placed at Sibu Hospital after he tested positive for Covid-19.
Throughout his stay at the hospital, Joanne worked diligently and with full commitment in looking after the Wongs.
After being discharged, the first time that Jackie did was sending a text message to Joanne, expressing his heartfelt gratitude for her care and kindness during the difficult time that his family had endured.
“It was a spontaneous gesture. I could not thank her enough. She was practically around each time we needed her invaluable service and assistance,” said Jackie.
He said occasionally, he would also call Joanne and seek her advice on things to do and not to do for patients recovering from Covid-19.
“Her caring attitude towards our family touched our hearts, and words alone could not describe my feelings for her at that moment.
“Her effervescence, combined with her kindness and caring personality, convinced me that she was the one.”
‘Tied by the red string’
Eventually, the ‘red string’ got them.
Jackie fell in love with Joanne towards the end of 2020, marking the journey of their three years of courtship.
In pursuing Joanne, Jackie discovered that both of them possessed the same characteristics, and nurtured the same adventurous hobbies and interests.
“She is tall, beautiful and above all, has a loving heart of gold, which completely engulfs my feelings for her.”
One day, during a church service, Jackie thought about Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 in the Bible: “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toll. For if they fall, one will lift up the other.”
This prompted in him the intention of marriage.
Not long after, he proposed and Joanne accepted it with full heart, wisdom and sincerity.
“It’s not easy to find an understanding and loving partner with so many similarities in interests,” said Jackie.
For Joanne, she did not know that Jackie was a national athlete when he was admitted into the hospital, adding that with the Covid-19 pandemic being at its peak then, few bothered to talk about having relationships or thinking about marriage as everyone was preparing for the worst to happen.
“Being a healthcare frontliner at that time, my core duty waa to ensure that all the patients would be properly taken care of,” she told thesundaypost.
However, Joanne did notice how tall and burly Jackie was.
“Well, he’s handsome too,” she chuckled.
“But honestly, the rest of the thing (romance) never crossed my mind.”
During the three years of courtship, she eventually regarded Jackie as a reliable and responsible person, and she would later be entrusted to him for the rest of her life.
This combo-photo of Jackie and Joanne is displayed on a post by former Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah in his Facebook page, which he uploaded several days after the couple had tied the knot.
‘Going forward’
Jackie had broken the national hammer-throw record 17 times since he was 15.
He is the current national record holder, having reached a distance of 68.22m.
Over the past 17 years, he has carved a name for himself in the track-and-field arena, both in national and international championships.
He has represented Malaysia at the South East Asia (SEA) Games seven times, and bagged the bronze medal three times, from 2011 to 2015, before clinching the gold in the biennial regional event – in 2017 when Malaysia was the host, and in 2021 in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Jackie posing for the camera, in this file photo taken after the announcement of his record-breaking feat at the 2017 SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur.
Currently, Jackie is an assistant coach for the Ningxia provincial track-and-field team in China.
“Now I work in China, but my heart is still with Malaysia, especially Sarawak.
“One day, hopefully, Sarawak could produce another outstanding hammer-thrower who would rule the world.
“That said, personally I still want to represent Malaysia, as long as the country needs me,” said Jackie.
Jackie says he still wants to represent Malaysia, ‘as long as the country needs him’.