YiMan and his family have struggled for a long time.
He was born to loving parents 8 years ago.
“His birth brought joy and hope to the whole family,” his mama remembers. “I thought about what he would look like in the future, he would either be excellent or ordinary, but I didn’t expect him to be an autistic child. It was a heavy blow to me and my family.”
As little YiMan grew up, his mama learned what she could about Autism from books, videos, and his teachers. But “the difference [between him and the other kids] was getting bigger and bigger. We also thought about sending him to a therapy institution, but we gave up since the cost was not affordable for us.” To make things worse, the closest therapy center was far away from their home.
Last summer, a new therapy center finally opened in their county. They enrolled YiMan immediately. Even after just a few months, “[YiMan] changed significantly in all aspects, and everything was developing in a better and better direction!”
But for all their determination, life was still not easy. YiMan and his family’s struggle continued. “For us, the cost of the child’s therapy is almost the entire income of the family.” They did what they could to save and borrow from anyone that would help them. But money was running out. The thought of taking YiMan out of therapy was devastating to his parents.
They continued to work hard. “In order to prevent YiMan from being left-behind, we relied on growing crops for a living, and planted several acres of citrus around the house… We thought it would be sold for a good price. Who knew, due to the pandemic, the economy would deteriorate, and the sales of citrus would also be affected. The income from a hard-working year could still not cover the cost of YiMan’s therapy.”
It was in their hopelessness that YiMan’s mama heard about Hope Station for the first time. “When the [Hope Station] staff contacted me, I really felt that I saw the hope. It made us more confident.” They signed up for our Family Strengthening Program, and started receiving support services right away!
YiMan’s family already has one sponsor. And thanks to the donors at Philip Hayden Foundation, YiMan’s therapy fees are fully covered.
But, in order to receive the full scope of Hope Station’s services, they need one more sponsor. A second sponsor will make sure they get home visits every month, training and encouragement from local experts, and all the supplies that they need to thrive as a special needs family.
To their first sponsor, YiMan’s mother wrote: “When I’m alone, I always wonder what kind of people you are to be willing to help us strangers just because of the love in your heart. I’m really touched… I will never fail to live up to your love, and I will do my best to help my YiMan get better and better.”
If YiMan and his family’s struggle has touched you, please consider sponsoring his family.
One family at a time. One day at a time.
