My Autistic Kid's a Gift, Not a Burden

In 2015, 46-year-old Sun Yu-long sacrificed his career to dedicate every waking hour to his son, who has nonverbal autism. Together with his 45-year-old self-sacrificing wife, Cheng Zhi-ming, he is fighting to transform the environment for children with disabilities in Taiwan.

In this episode, we hear how Yu-long and his wife transitioned from denial and sadness to acceptance and hope; what unique role a social welfare group played in their transformation; and how a cycling trip into the mountains helped rekindle the fire in their relationship.

Host

Sun Yu-Lung:In fact, by having a kid like Mambo the positive and negative things you experience help teach us many things.

Li Tsui-Hui:yeah, I have this kind of kid. But I don’t feel he’s a burden in my life. The better I think of him the better he becomes. I think this sentence is true for every child.

Huang Shi-ji:In my opinion the surname they take makes no difference. They're still my grandkids.

Guest

Chen Shin-Tsung:The hand of cards life's dealt them could be seen as a test or a gift. If you adopt a positive attitude to face it then things will go a lot smoother. I'm sure that Yu-Lung is clear about how to move forward.