26 years paralysed, but Marziawati keeps moving forward

Marziawati Mahfal has been paralysed for 26 years, but the single mother of two refuses to let a wheelchair define the limits of her life.

The 47-year-old constantly reminds herself that while her legs may not move, she is still free, capable and able to do many of the things others do.

More than 300,000 followers on TikTok now watch Marziawati go about her daily life – managing her home and family, taking food orders and driving – with some of her videos attracting millions of views.

Her children remain her greatest source of strength, and Marziawati is grateful that, despite the challenges, she has been able to raise them largely on her own.

“My son is continuing his studies in Selangor, while my second child will be sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia at the end of this year,” she told FMT.

“My children always say they are proud of their mother. They are always trying to find ways for me to walk again,” she said, sharing that they often take her to the beach so she can bury her feet in the sand.

Everything changed when Marziawati was hit by a high-powered motorcycle while she was out looking for work. She was thrown against a road divider and suffered a spinal injury.

The rider fled the scene.

The timing of the accident was especially painful: Marziawati had only just completed her studies in beauty and hairdressing, and had hoped to help ease her parents’ burden back in the village. Instead, she suddenly found herself unable to walk.

After the accident, Marziawati depended heavily on her family for even the most basic tasks, including eating, getting water, and moving from her bed to her wheelchair.

The death of her father, a soldier, became a turning point, forcing her to realise that she would have to learn how to manage almost entirely on her own.

“At first, I learnt how to move from the bed to the wheelchair by myself, even though I fell many times. After that, I learnt how to get to the kitchen, cook and manage the house,” said Marziawati.

Wanting to see her children grow up able to stand on their own feet gave her another push: she was determined to learn to drive so she could take them to school.

Her modified car allows her to operate the vehicle entirely by hand. She is also able to lift her wheelchair, which weighs about 12kg, and place it in the car without assistance.

Marziawati may not be able to walk, but she refuses to stop moving forward. For her, independence – both personal and national – is not an abstract idea: it is the freedom she has fought to build for herself, one everyday task at a time.

“Being able to take care of my children on my own, not having to depend on others for my daily needs, and being free to move around – that is what true independence means to me,” she said.

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