Before she was two years old, Lin Pei (林沛) could not see, hear or even mumble, as she was afflicted with severe cerebral palsy. Doctors who treated her all predicted that the little girl would only live until 12.
But Lin proved them wrong and is now an 18-year-old high school student.
Aware of the physical challenges facing his youngest daughter, Lin Po-cheng (
PHOTO: HUANG MEI-CHU, TAIPEI TIMES
Thanks to such care, Lin Pei can now communicate with others using body language, facial expressions and Braille.
Lin Po-cheng said that medical personnel allegedly dropped Lin Pei after she was born, causing a cerebral hemorrhage. A week later, she was diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy. He said that "as a result of inappropriate first aid administered by medical personnel, my daughter's larynx was also severely damaged."
He had to use feeding tubes to keep his daughter alive. Afterwards, she gradually became able to swallow liquids and mashed food.
At one point, as many people considered the manner in which Lin fed his her daughter "unhygienic," he decided to try using a juicer, rather than his teeth, to grind the food. He found, however, that this process mixed all the flavors.
"Since she is already handicapped, I just don't want her to lose her sense of taste," Lin Po-cheng said.
Ever since Lin Pei entered high school, Lin Po-cheng has asked school teachers to cut food into small pieces and grind them into a smooth paste for Lin Pei to swallow.
Lin Pei has an appetite for burgers and fries and Lin Po-cheng has made many visits to fast-food chains like Macdonald's. One day, while Lin Po-cheng was feeding his daughter burger and fries, a lady approached him and gave him a note which read: "You are such a great father."
Looking at the note, he said "I was speechless and my eyes were filled with tears."
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