- AFICC
Meet Yu Chen
Updated: Nov 5, 2020
By David Bondy, Family Partners Programme Director
Meet Yu Chen
Yu Chen is a happy teenage girl who likes to laugh and learn. Her parents teach at a local University and surround her with love and care. She loves to have visitors and recently insisted on wearing her favorite pink, spring outfit when she knew our FPP staff were coming.
Yu Chen and Miss Dorothee, her speech and language therapist
Supported
What makes her story remarkable is that she was born with Cerebral Palsy. And rather than give up their little girl at birth, her parents made the courageous choice to keep her. She is now 14 years old and is unable to move her legs. Her arm movements are restricted and she cannot walk or sit down. She also has trouble holding her head straight.
Yet her family continues to rally around her and support her. Her younger sister likes to read to Yu Chen or share interesting things she is learning at school. And any time her sister gets ice cream out of the refrigerator, Yu Chen makes sure she gets some ice cream too!
Yet her family continues to rally around her and support her. Her younger sister likes to read to Yu Chen or share interesting things she is learning at school.
I was particularly touched when I saw that Yu Chen’s father had built her a quasi-wheelchair out of wood. The chair resembles a sort of throne. This is especially true when during the summer they put a colorful mosquito net around her to protect her skin.
Therapy team on a home visit at Yu Chen’s home
Her family reached out to the Family Partners Program earlier this year for support. In addition to receiving regular Speech and Language Therapy from our German specialist Miss Dorothee, our Physio Therapists have also taken measurements to assist this sweet family in providing their daughter a proper wheelchair.
Early on in her therapy, Yu Chen would complain that a task was too difficult. “I can’t do it,” she would say. Miss Dorothee would always remind her, “You mean you can’t do it yet. And this is why we must practice.” At present, Yu Chen is growing in confidence and puts forth good effort into her exercises. She is better able to close her mouth and can even blow a bit of air into her cheeks!
“I can’t do it,” she would say. Miss Dorothee would always remind her, “You mean you can’t do it yet. And this is why we must practice.”
Miss Dorothee working to strengthen Yu Chen’s facial muscles
But by far her favorite part of Speech Therapy is when Miss Dorothee directs her father to give her a facial massage. She always looks happy and excited throughout the process. It is indeed an honor to be able to stand alongside devoted families such as that of Yu Chen.
It is indeed an honor to be able to stand alongside devoted families such as that of Yu Chen.