Despite seeing the world in “blurry outlines,” eighth-grade student Lan Jui-yu (藍睿瑜) has become a math and science whiz, well on his way to fulfilling his dream of becoming an ophthalmologist.
Lan has Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition affecting the connective tissue that is often associated with impaired eyesight.
It was only after his mother passed away when he was four that Lan learned he had the condition, she did.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families
Marfan syndrome is also characterized by overly long and flexible limbs.
Lan at 15 is 1.8m tall.
As his heart valves are at risk of detaching, Lan must avoid collisions and strenuous exercise. During gym classes at his school in Taoyuan, he usually sits on the sidelines.
Lan has been severely nearsighted for as long as he can remember, requiring 25 diopters of correction. He also has a narrow field of vision. Even with strong corrective glasses, he only has 20/100 vision.
To read, his face must be close to the text and he has to squint.
As for his family, including his memory of his mother, and the rest of the world, “they are just blurry outlines,” he said.
Unable to bear the thought of his son facing the world alone, his father, Lan Cheng-chung (藍成忠), overcomes his own movement challenges caused by a car crash to accompany Lan Jui-yu.
With his father’s support, Lan Jui-yu has overcome setbacks, even earning a Presidential Education Award for excellence in mathematics and science.
He hopes to become an ophthalmologist to help others like him, he said.
Lan Jui-yu’s dedication caught the attention of the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families, which on Sunday named him as one of 23 “self-empowered children.”
The organization invited Lan Jui-yu’s hero, former Major League Baseball pitcher Wang Chien-ming (王建民), to record a message of encouragement.
Of the families that receive childcare support from the fund, 64.58 percent are single-parent households, while grandparents are the primary caregivers in 11.02 percent, fund data showed.
Eight percent of families are two-parent households in which one or both parents cannot work due to medical conditions, the data showed.
The “self-empowered children” it named face tough circumstances, and nonetheless show strength and resilience, Taiwan Fund for Children and Families vice president Liu Kuo-chang (劉國璋) said on Sunday.
They use their ambition to write their own stories, transforming their struggles into the strength they need to pursue their dreams, Liu said, adding that his organization thanks everyone who has lent a hand and encouraged these extraordinary children.
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