This 44-year-old is not only a mother and wife, but also leads art projects and tours, as well as run book projects that have strong messages supporting social causes.

She doesn't think she leads a busy life, but after we asked her to list down her projects, voluntary work alongside with her duties in her family, she laughs and agreed that the list was rather long.

So, what drives Choo to do what she does daily?

“I would say I am motivated by simple and small gestures rather than grand things. 

“Of course, overall, I am motivated by wanting to make things better and to make an impact even with the many little things I do,” she says.

MOTHERHOOD WAS TOUGH IN THE BEGINNING

Choo quit her full-time work in 2013 when she had twins. 

After learning that her daughter, Isha Iyer, was diagnosed with Down Syndrome, she shares that at the time it was a struggle for the first few months accepting and understanding this new situation for the family.

“It was very shocking for me when we first found out, but I was very lucky because I got connected with the Kiwanis Down Syndrome Foundation and its support network, and the mothers in the parent support group, they helped me,” she explains.

Reading hard and factual medical articles when they first found out about Isha was not encouraging as it doesn't show the human potential of a person with Down Syndrome, she explains, making her depressed.

But, Choo and her sister found stories about families overcoming the odds that motivated the family to get Isha into early intervention programmes.  The three (and a half) year old girl now attends a mainstream playschool with her brother, Akash.