At an event held by the Angel Heart Family Social Welfare Foundation to support fathers of disabled children, Lu Hsien-lung (魯賢龍), whose daughter is disabled, said nothing in the world can compare with a parent’s love for their child because it is so natural.
Lu’s daughter suffers from tuberous sclerosis complex, a multi-system genetic disease that causes the growth of non-malignant tumors. Every day for the past 17 years he has helped his daughter brush her teeth, take showers and he massages her muscles.
Lu’s wife underwent artificial insemination 23 times before she gave birth to his “little princess,” Lu said, and as a result he refused to give up on her despite the debilitating illness.
Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
“I have come to realize what love is from my husband,” Lu’s wife said.
Lu’s story was just one of many recounted at the event, which the foundation hoped would give fathers of disabled children a morale boost and encourage them to continue to devote themselves to their sons and daughters.
Another father, pediatrician Wang Sheng-ju (王聖儒), remembered his first thoughts when he realized that his daughter was not breathing when she was born.
“I just wanted to save my daughter. I didn’t have time to think about how difficult life would be taking care of a child with brain damage,” Wang said of his daughter, who is nicknamed Mimi.
Wang never feels ashamed of Mimi and has taken her to her medical visits, his wife Liu Shu-hui (劉淑慧) said.
In return, Mimi always gives his father a smile when he comes home from work, Liu said, adding: “My husband has given his life for that smile.”
Lee Shu-jen (李淑珍), the wife of Minister of the Interior Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺), whose son is autistic, expressed her gratitude at the event to fathers who have not avoided their duty and take responsibility to care for their children.
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