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Home>Service> Awardees of Fervent Global Love of Lives Award> 14th Fervent Global Love of Lives Award 2011> Angel of Lanyang─Lai Yuan-chin
Overcome disability ‧ live colorfully
      Yuan-chin Lai, who studies in National Lan-Yang Girls' Senior High School, was diagnosed as Marfan syndrome when she was on the third grade of elementary school. Her heart and version were both damaged by the disease. Besides, her mother died within one month after she was born. She lived with her father and grandmother. Little Yuan-chin was introvert and ill, so she had been crowed out by her classmates. This, however, motivated her to study harder. Although she had to read enlarged prints and spent more time than others, she enjoyed studying and never felt tired. She led the class to study hard like her and was awarded Most Devoted Student Award and Award for Progress many times. In the school year of 2007, she was awarded Master AQ (Adversity Quotient) Honorable Award of the life education school.
No mother, learn to be independent
      Yuan-chin Lai has suffered from Marfan syndrome since she was born in 1993. Her heart and version were both damaged by the disease. On account of this, since she was very young, she knew that she must learn more living skills than others so that she would have enough capabilities to face any challenge coming in her future life.
      Unfortunately, her mother died within one month after she was born. She lived with her father and grandmother. When Mother's day came, she always felt a little bit regretful. School teachers made students draw a card and gave them carnations so that they could express their love to Mom. She couldn't because she didn't have Mom. Although she could give the flower to her granny, she could never replace Mother.
      In Yuan-chin's memory, Father sold chickens for living. Because his work was so busy that he seldom stayed at home. Later, her father has suffered from cataract. His version became worse and worse, so he went to school of visually impaired to learn massage. After that, he worked in Pingdong. At that time, Yuan-chin was just a third-grade elementary school student. She had to learn how to handle her daily life on her own. Even so, she treasured the time when she was being with Father. During every winter break and summer vacation, she took a bus on her own to visit Father in Pingdong and he would go back home to have a reunion every Chinese New Year. She understood that Father had to stay in Pingdong for work, but sometimes, when she was alone or confronted obstacles in life, she really hoped that Father was by her side and gave her support and comfort. She never asked Father to come home because she didn't want him to worry about her. She wanted him to be proud of her. This thought thus conquered her solitary and loneliness. She worked hard to be mature and dignified. She also strived to make pressure in life the motivation of learning.
Overcome disability, study hard
      When Yuan-chin studied in the kindergarten, her disease resulted in displacement of crystalline lens, which prevented eye balls from focusing, and her eyeballs moved upward uncontrollably. Classmates misunderstood her and thought she was staring at them. She was thus usually stared and crowed out by them. At first, she didn't know why they did such things to her and felt hurt. After she looked at her pictures, she knew the reason. She understood her classmates' unfriendly attitude, and didn't blame them. This was all because of her physical disability. She didn't become negative, instead, she looked at the mirror and practiced to show friendliness, hoping this would shorten the distance between she and her classmates.
      When studying in elementary school, because her cardiac function was damaged, she was not allowed to join any sports courses. In each P.E. class, a special education teacher came to teach and trained her how to use assistance devices (e.g. magnifier, telescope or so on). Physical limitation could only allow her to do static activities. As a result, the habit of reading gradually became her key to enliven her life.
      On this long way, Yuan-chin always overcame every living obstacle or physical barrier on her own. She was still quiet and introvert. Although she got along with classmates well after going to junior high school, she still felt as a square peg in a round hole because of the differences of living experiences. This made her sometimes found it hard to catch their topics. However, because she didn't interact with peers quite often, she could pay more attention to her study. She could even say with a clear conscience , “I always study hard.”
      In the second semester of the second year, Yuan-chin not only had positive interaction in schoolwork with the classmates, but overcame her physical limitation through their support and inspiration. In a P.E. class, it was her first time fulfilling the teacher's order by jogging. She also won her classmates' cheers! She gradually opened her narrow-minded heart and learned to become a member of her peers. She became confident when she felt that she was part of them.
      After becoming a high school student, Yuan-chin had a bulky of schoolwork. Although her version was damaged by the disease so that she needed to rely on a crystal ball to magnify prints when reading, she never used this as an excuse. She always studied hard and never slacked off. She was thus awarded Most Devoted Student Award many times. Being a senior student, she usually stayed at school to self-study with her classmates. They learned from each other and encouraged each other. What she has done not only enhanced the class's study motivation, but brought herself lots of friends of her class.
Never give up, always with the hope
      From the beginning to this moment, the faith Yuan-chin has owned is, “Never give up!” Never give up and there will always be the hope. She expected herself to create the biggest possibility under her physical limitation. “ When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a great man, it always first frustrates his spirit and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, exposes him to starvation and poverty, harasses him by troubles and setbacks so as to stimulate his spirit, toughen his nature and enhance his abilities ” said Mencius. She usually uses these words to give herself inspiration. On the way of life, her disability has indeed stopped her to do many things and resulted in many obstacles, but it is also the disability, that taught her a lot of life lessons, inspiring her will and strengthening her spirit.
      In Yuan-chin's opinion, she can do nothing with the body given by her parents---neither can she decide how the body looks like nor can stop the disease from happening. At least, however, she can choose the attitude toward her body and her life. She also believes that, the life with disabled appearance will have a rich and meaningful inner part when it keeps promoting itself.