3154 Edition
August 6-12, 2012
Church Ministry News

Reported by Chen Wei-chien

Written by Lydia Ma

Rev. Chen Yi-ren, pastor at Kaoshu Presbyterian Church in Pingtung, has been carrying his son up and down the stairs for many years. His son, Chen Ping, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a disease which results in muscle degeneration and eventual death. Chen Ping began to use a wheelchair when he was 10-years-old and it was from that time onward that his father began to carry him up and down the stairs of the church and parsonage where they lived.

Chen Yi-ren said that his son began to show symptoms at the age of 3 and it was very difficult to raise such a special needs child. He recalled that eating and bathing were the hardest things to do at the time. Furthermore, fearing that his son might asphyxiate on a blanket during his sleep, he and his wife took turns taking care of Chen Ping at nights.

Chen Ping is now 24 years old and his weight has increased to a point where his father is no longer able to carry him up and down the stairs. When Pingtung Presbytery leaders heard about this problem, they decided to help the Chen family by making renovations to the church and the parsonage so as to make it accessible to people with disabilities.

Pingtung Presbytery General Secretary Huang Mei-li said that the whole presbytery felt compelled to help this family raise some funds to build an accessible home and church. Chen Yi-ren has been pastoring at Kaoshu Church for 23 years and has lived in the parsonage located on the second floor of the church for 16 years. The cost of renovations is estimated to be NT$1.4 million and the church is hoping to raise NT$1.2 million while paying the rest of the bill by itself.

Upon hearing that the presbytery hoped that this news report would spur local churches to raise funds for this project and that churches in Pingtung Presbytery have already begun to raise funds, Rev. Chen said that he was filled with gratefulness. “In the past, radio stations have invited me to share my experience, but I don't know where and how to begin...” he said, adding that sharing openly about the hardships he has faced over the years is not something that comes easily and he is afraid of breaking down if he talks about it.

As Taiwan celebrated Father's Day on August 8, he reflected on his years as a father and said, “I think that most people would assume that I am a heroic father for raising such a child. But that's not true as I am fully aware of my own weaknesses.” He added that Chen Ping can only move his fingers now. Hence, the only thing he can do is draw on a small wooden board attached to his wheelchair. Because Rev. Chen loves to travel and draw cartoons, he sometimes takes his son along with him.

DMD is a common type of muscular dystrophy and symptoms usually appear in children between the ages of 3 and 5. Children with this condition will experience progressive proximal muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis associated with a loss of muscle mass. Eventually this weakness spreads to the arms, neck, and other areas. As result, children with DMD are prone to fall when they walk, wobble when they run, and have a difficult time climbing up or down the stairs. There are no cures for DMD at the moment, but medication and physical therapy can control the onset of symptoms.