Social News
Written by: Lin Yingxian
2021-06-21 08:00
Last update date: 2021-06-21 08:00
The new crown pneumonia epidemic has hit Hong Kong for more than a year, and the pressure on social welfare services such as hospitals has become even heavier.
Uncle McDonald’s House was forced to suspend large-scale fundraising activities in the past year, and its income plummeted by 10%. Volunteers were also inconvenienced to go to their homes to help with daily routines. This made the work of front-line social workers even more difficult. Serving the families of children with cancer uninterruptedly. I am grateful to the kindhearted people and former residents for their continued support. I also hope that the community can focus on the families of the neglected children and increase resources to support them.
She also mentioned that a young sick child once faced a chronic illness with a smile and taught her to be brave and actively overcome all difficulties.
24 years ago, Sara, who was the first batch to stay at the McDonald’s Uncle’s home, was exhausted to take care of her daughter with Down syndrome who was suffering from blood cancer. Her husband and mother were also under heavy mental pressure. She was grateful for the assistance provided by the center to get her family out of the misery. Now she will return to the center to volunteer with her mother and daughter from time to time, sharing her daughter's anti-cancer experience as a past person.
She laments that society still does not pay much attention to assistance to families of sick children, and hopes that there will be more similar services in the future so that families of sick children will not fight the disease alone.
At the end of 1997, Sandra, a "Down's baby" who was only one and a half years old, was diagnosed with blood cancer and needed to stay in the hospital. Mother Sara traveled to the hospital and the residence in Tsuen Wan every day, and she had to take care of her newborn baby. Sara, who raised her children alone, was exhausted and nurses in the hospital Under the referral, he stayed at the McDonald’s Uncle’s House, which is only a 4-minute walk away from the Weiyuan Hospital, saving time on transportation and being able to go to the hospital to take care of his daughter at any time.
She said that in addition to shortening the distance to and from the hospital and residence, the house’s greatest help can also be transformed into an "information center", allowing parents to exchange treatment information, and let everyone "warm up the stove", "it feels like you are different Not many people (to fight against the disease)", not to fight alone, she laments that others may not understand her situation, "you may not be able to survive it."
The daughter who was still in her arms was tortured by illness one after another. Sara recalled that her husband, who was in Taiwan at the time, felt overwhelmed on the other side and had to see a psychologist. His mother also hid in tears from time to time and was fortunate to work. The accompaniment and relief of the staff and fellow travelers only slightly relieved.
What impresses her most is that the center will invite young students to barbecue, break the gloomy atmosphere of the family members of sick children, so that they can unload their shoulders and spend the night laughing and laughing.
As for herself, taking care of her daughter with cancer alone did not develop as well as normal scripts. She did not feel thunderbolt or collapsed. Instead, she did not respond. "It was to slowly digest the prophet's bleats afterwards", but it didn't happen after the digestion. Time makes her sad, she can only bite the bullet and "do it all".
Sara’s optimistic personality was also passed on to her daughter. When the reporter described Sandra as a "happy fruit," she was shy, blushing, and shyly thanked: "Ah! Thank you, thank you." The staff and reporters on the scene couldn't help laughing. The cute side just injects momentum into the McDonald’s Uncle House.
When Sandra was a child, she often went home to volunteer and joined the choir. On the day of the visit, she also helped distribute masks in her home.
The mother-in-law, who used to live in the house, still went to the house from time to time to help and became a part of the house after twenty years.
Sara said that the families of sick children are under heavy pressure, but so far there has not been a second "Uncle McDonald's House" in society. With the lack of resources, parents can only rely on themselves and share their experiences with people like her.
She is currently opening a restaurant "Xiaoguan Hearty Bistro" in Tai Kok Tsui. In addition to allowing her daughter to make coffee and making small dishes for a living in the future, she hopes that when the small shop is on track, more Down syndrome patients can be hired so that they can be self-reliant. , To reduce the chance of being exploited by society, perhaps it is to pass on the love and mutual help spirit of Uncle McDonald's.
This year is the 25th year of the establishment of the McDonald’s Uncle’s House. Director-General Huang Tingting looks back on the families he has assisted in the past 25 years. Many parents are burdened with heavy mental pressure, and even mothers can’t stand it and commit stupid things such as self-harm. Fortunately, With the help of the staff and fellow travelers, the mother can get out of grief and face it positively.
She described that the child is seriously ill and the family has undergone tremendous changes. However, the society still ignores support for the sick child’s family. The government and even the social welfare agency have yet to provide policy assistance to these deeply affected groups. The McDonald’s Uncle’s House is the only family for the sick child’s family. Provide a place for temporary shelter.
Over the past 25 years, the house is still a family that protects sick children in the wind and rain. The biggest change is that most of the families living in now are grassroots, and the subdivided households account for about 80%. The house has only more than 20 rooms and it is difficult to meet the needs. The new home in Kwun Tong will be put into service in two years and will provide 66 rooms to help more families.
Although the past 25 years have been full of thorns and thorns, the epidemic that struck Hong Kong early last year was the biggest difficulty, just like other institutions.
Huang Tingting said that next year's lottery ticket sales and golf charity tournaments will be postponed, frankly saying that the fundraising will be reduced by 10%. Volunteers have not been able to assist in the institutions, which greatly increases the work pressure and workload of colleagues. But she is fortunate that there are still benevolent people who will donate their own money, volunteers will also do handicrafts for sick children, and set up online cram schools to cheer them up in alternative ways, and each surprises the sick children and their families.
More than 10 years ago, a boy from Bangladesh suffered severe burns to his mouth from corrosive liquid and lost his tongue and throat. He was admitted to the home of Uncle McDonald’s when he was 2 and 5 years old when he came to Hong Kong for treatment. Huang Tingting He recalled that the boy was very strong and brave. He did not need to take painkillers after a whole day of surgery. He only expressed the hope that he would play in the game room, never cry, face all the pain with a smile, and inspired her to face everything with a smile. In the face of difficulties, we must continue to "influence lives with life" and overcome all difficulties with the families of sick children in need.
The home of Uncle McDonald's was completed three years later. The new home has 66 rooms for sick children and their parents.
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