At first, it was just a blank stare Sharon Taylor got in return when she smiled and bid good morning to Chun Fu Au.
Each day, Taylor, the fitness co-ordinator and supervisor at South Arm Community Centre, would watch Au's husband, Ming Lai, wheel her into the South Arm Community Centre, and head up to the second floor gym area to use the equipment.
Twenty years ago, the couple came to Richmond from Hong Kong with their two children. In 2008, Au, 74, suffered a stroke that affected her mobility and speech.
Her daily routine over the past two years at the community centre has included using a specialized exercise machine made by U.S. manufacturer NuStep - the only one available in Richmond - that helps stroke patients regain their range of motion, strength
and mobility.
The machine - which resembles a recumbent bicycle with the addition of a pair of levers - allows users to safely exercise their legs and arms and independently.
Taylor saw the couple make their regular visits and was always impressed by the attentive nature of Au's husband as he helped her get her hands and feet properly strapped into the equipment.
"It was so heart-warming to see the care and patience he had for his wife," Taylor said, adding due to a language barrier her communication with the couple was limited, but it was clear the two had a special relationship and deep commitment to one another.
"They would come pretty much every day during the week, and I'd occasionally see them on weekends, too," Taylor said. "Their perseverance was quite remarkable. And it has paid off."
Over the course of the past 24 months Au's condition has improved to the point where she can, with the assistance of a cane, walk and move her arms freely.
And the blank look on her face has been replaced with a ready smile and a nod hello when Taylor greets them.
"There's this glow she has on her face now," Taylor said. "It makes me feel ecstatic that she has been able to come this far."
Family friend David Hsieh said the change has been quite remarkable.
"The difference is significant," he said. "After her stroke she was just capable of one word sentences - 'yes,' and 'okay.' Now, she can communicate much better, walk, and her beautiful smile has come back. It's been wonderful to see the change. And it's because of their close relationship to each other.
"They've been married for 55 years and have two grandchildren. And looking at what's been done so far, they have much more time with each other."
