mother with disabled son
Jade Small
Jade Small
December 14, 2023 ·  4 min read

Mom refuses to give up her disabled baby with ‘low intelligence’, nurtures him all the way to Harvard

No matter where I’m at, I always try to reflect on the things I am grateful for in my life. The truth is that not all of us are born blessed with the same opportunities. However, there are a few who can rise above these challenges. This inspiring story from a few years ago can give you some perspective. It’s about a Chinese woman who gave birth to a disabled baby boy and continued to push him to succeed even against all odds.

Zuo Hongyan holding disabled baby Ding Ding.
Image: Handout

Ding Ding was born in a hospital in Hubei province, China, in 1988. He had congenital disabilities that led to cerebral palsy, and without his mother, he may have been given up. The doctors advised his parents that he would most likely not make it. However, his mother was not going to give up, and no one could convince her otherwise. [2]

She refused to give him up

After doctors said that Zuo’s child was “not worth saving” and that he would grow up disabled or learning impaired. Her husband agreed they shouldn’t raise this disabled baby.”Let’s not have this child. He will be a burden to us all our lives,” he conceded. It was a common practice in China for parents to get rid of disabled babies. According to Chinese authorities, in 2014, an estimated 98% of the 576,000 abandoned children were disabled. [1][3]

Zuo Hongyan was a proud woman who would keep making sacrifices to allow Ding Ding to have a future. Even when her husband divorced her, she simply used it as fuel to keep pushing and creating opportunities for her son. To provide for her family and pay for the special care Ding Ding needed, Zuo worked a few jobs. She had a full-time post at a college in Wuhan while still fulfilling part-time jobs as a protocol trainer and insurance salesperson.

Chinese mother Zuo Hongyan holding her son Ding Ding.
Image: Handout

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She worked through his difficulties

Whenever she could, Zuo took her son to his rehabilitation treatment, come rain or shine. She developed an interest in Ding’s condition and learned how to relieve tension in his muscles through massage. She also introduced him to games and puzzles that would stimulate the growth of his intellect.

Ding had issues with basic motor skills and coordination. He struggled with chopsticks but Zuo was adamant that he would overcome these obstacles as best he could. Zuo said she, “didn’t want him to feel ashamed about his physical problems.” She felt that “because he had inferior abilities in many areas, I was quite strict on him to work hard to catch up where he had difficulties,’ [1]

Zou Hongyan, South China Morning Post
Zuo Hongyan teaches her disabled baby boy Ding Ding.
Image: Handout

Zuo’s relatives offered sympathy when Ding Ding couldn’t eat with chopsticks, but she persisted and pushed him to learn. She didn’t want him to have to give excuses later on in his life when he dined out. She continued teaching him how to write and ensured that he understood the importance of his school work.

Ding Ding and his mother Zuo on graduation day 2015.
Image: Handout

From ‘Disabled Baby’ To Harvard

Well, the patience of his mother certainly paid off. In 2011, Ding Ding, completed his bachelor’s degree at the Environmental Science and Engineering School of Peking University. He then enrolled in a master’s program at the International Law School. Once he had worked for 2 more years, he furthered his studies in the United States at Harvard. During this time, he missed his mother Zuo and the close bond they had.

In 2016, after working for two years, Mr. Ding was accepted into Harvard Law School.
When he was accepted into Harvard Law School, in Boston Massachussets, Ding Ding admitted that he, “never dared to dream of applying to Harvard.” He said that “it was my mother who never stopped encouraging me to give it a try.” He praised his mother Zuo, saying, “Whenever I had any doubts, she would guide me forward,

Ding Ding regarded his mother as his “spiritual mentor”, and explained that even though he was awarded a scholarship that covered 75% of the cost of his tuition, the remainder of the fees was a considerable expense for his mother to take on. “At 29, I am still dependent on my mother. I hope I will soon become more successful and self-reliant, so she can have a better life,” he stated.

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Sources

  1. Chinese mother who refused to give up disabled son nurtures him all the way to Harvard.” South China Morning Post. May 16, 2017
  2. This Is The Story Of A Brave Chinese Mother Who Brought Up Her Disabled Son And Turned Him Into A Harvard Graduate.Wonderful Engineering. December 31, 2019
  3. “The tragic tale of China’s orphanages: 98% of abandoned children have disabilities” The Globe and Mail. NATHAN VANDERKLIPPE. March 21, 2014.