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Love changes lives
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Dawn Li
WHILE most kids celebrated Children's Day with songs, laughter and ice-cream, kids from the SZ Deaf Children Healing Centre paraded their courage and confidence onstage at the eco-square in Overseas Chinese Town (OCT).
Co-sponsored by the healing centre and the Wal-mart at OCT, the half-day celebration was themed around supporting Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics. Besides singing and dancing, kids from the healing centre also participated in a painting and name signing activity to express their support for Beijing's bid. But the main purpose of the activity, a teacher with the centre explained, was to draw attention to this group of kids who, faced as they are with physical handicaps, live lonely lives and need special care.
Du Shisheng, aged six and a half, offered a charming rendition of nursery rhymes accompanied by music. It's hard to believe that he could not speak a single word when he first came to the healing centre over a year ago. Refusing to use a hearing aid, he was made sullen and introverted by the loss of hearing which hurts his ability to communicate. "Care and sincere love can bring miracles," his teachers said proudly. "The boy can hear, speak, sing and dance now." Du is heading for a public primary school this September.
Huang Wei, a former deaf-mute, gave a fluent recitation of Tang poetry. "The boy is very clever," his teacher told Shenzhen Daily. "After he learned speaking with a hearing aid, he can easily memorize poems."
A group of two-year-olds and three-year-olds, who knew nothing but tears when they entered the centre several months ago, also performed a "running train" dance.
The healing centre, established back in 1992, has successfully trained over 120 deaf kids who suffered language barriers. Among them, 20 have recovered well and returned to mainstream society. "They are very lovely, but their pure hearts are also tender and frail," a teacher said. "They are an undiscovered gold mine in their thick silent world." And always, they are waiting for our love and care.
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