Fifteen male students at a high school in Changhua last week surprised the mother of a classmate by sporting buzz cuts in a show of solidarity and support for her son, who was undergoing chemotherapy due to lymphoma.
The mother, Chang Jui-fen (張瑞芬), went to Da Der Commercial and Technological Vocational High School on Wednesday last week to accept an award for filial piety on behalf of her son, who could not attend because he had to go to a chemotherapy session.
Chang, a single parent with four children, supports her family by selling vegetables and with the aid of a government subsidy of NT$10,000.
Photo: Tang Shih-ming, Taipei Times
Chang said the family’s finances took a turn for the worse when she discovered three years ago that she had breast cancer on top of a heart problem.
She said she only found the courage to go on because her children were there to support her as they sought treatment for her cancer.
School dean Hsu Wei-chun (許維純) said that Chang’s son, Hsiao Yu-lung (蕭鈺隆), was not only there for his mother during this difficult process, but Hsiao was also diagnosed with lymphoma barely a month after starting the school year.
When his hair started falling out, he became afraid of going to school, Hsu said.
To show their support, 15 of his homeroom classmates had their hair shorn, Hsu said.
His other classmates compiled notes to help Hsiao keep up with his schoolwork, the dean said.
Chang said she was surprised when Hsiao’s classmates gave her carnations and sang Mando-pop king Jay Chou’s (周杰倫) Listen to Mother (聽媽媽的話).
Chang said she had received an unexpected and touching early Mother’s Day gift, adding that she felt as if she had gained 45 more sons because Hsiao’s classmates were truly considerate and willing to go out of their way to help her son.
“Their actions have not only given my son hope, but also confidence,” Chang said, adding that she could do no more than thank the students repeatedly.
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