Fred Cheng Opens Up About His Son’s Rare Genetic Disorder
Last year, Fred Cheng (鄭俊弘) and Stephanie Ho (何雁詩) and publicly shared that their son, Asher has been diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome— a rare genetic disorder that impact physical and cognitive development. Despite the heartbreaking news, the couple choose to be strong for their son and recently opened up about their initial reaction to Asher’s diagnosis.
In an interview with YouTube channel Orange Elephant, Fred recalled how he felt like his world was crashing down when he learned of the news, “The most difficult time for us was when we just found out that he was ill since everyone was just guessing at that time. Later when we found out, we were very unhappy but at least we knew it was Angelman Syndrome. Now there is an answer for us and we can follow this direction to find ways to help the child.”
Fred confesses to feeling guilty about his son’s suffering, “I was blaming myself. Back then, I would hold my son and cry everyday. I know I can’t be like that every day, but I was very sorry for him. I hugged him and said “Dad is sorry.”
In another interview, Stephanie disclosed how they coped with the news, “During the first three months, not just Fred, the whole house was very depressed. For example, I saw my mom playing with my son, but when she turned away to go to the kitchen, she was crying. Everyone at home was like this. Seeing situations like this, I understood that I needed to be strong.”
Since the diagnosis, Stephanie and Fred have been actively bringing awareness for Angelman Syndrome and supporting Asher through therapy and treatment. Now three years old, Asher is making good progress and will be starting school next month!
Source: [1]
This article is written by Sammi for JayneStars.com.
Ohh, pictures are always so deceiving. It’s a devastating diagnosis for sure. Poor couple. They have a hard parental time ahead of them. But they’re a resilient couple and have been thru the worst.