Chinese woman wouldn't give up on her son

Back in 1988, Zuo Hongyan gave birth to a son in her home province of Hubei, China. Birth complications led to the baby being diagnosed with cerebral palsy in infancy. Local doctors advised she give up the baby, as he would probably be disabled and/or have low intelligence. Her husband agreed, saying that the boy would be a burden on the family his entire life.

Zou vowed to keep the baby. The couple divorced.

In order to support them both, Zou took a full-time job and several part time jobs too. In between, she took him to therapy and learned how to carry over some of the activities at home. She bought puzzles and brain teasers, massaged and stretched him, and insisted he learn to eat with chopsticks as was their custom. Her goal was to push her son as far as he could be pushed given his disability.

Zou's son Ding Zheng has done well indeed. He obtained a bachelor's degree from Peking University’s Environmental Science and Engineering School, and then enrolled in that university's International Law School. Last year, he began studies at Harvard University. 

That's right. The Chinese baby who was to be 'given up' as a 'burden' now attends an Ivy League school in the US. All because someone believed he shouldn't be defined by his disability.

One mother's plea, 150 + responses

Deborah Skouson's daughter Cami had a favorite shirt, a pink short-sleeved shirt with flowers made by Circo. Cami loved that shirt and wore it nearly every day, as happens sometimes in autism. Like all clothing, it wore out. Deborah bought another and another. Eventually, the shirt was no longer carried in her local stores. She felt fortunate to find them online, but after a while even that supply dried up. 

Desperate, Deborah turned to Facebook and posted this plea. 

The story went viral.   

Within a couple weeks, over 150 shirts had been promised or had arrived at the Utah family's home. Most were from total strangers from as far away as Germany.

In addition, Target, the store chain where Deborah first found the shirt, has promised to make the shirt in various sizes so Cami can enjoy wearing it for years to come.