The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.106)

2019 • 01 40 No problem, he is my dad By Tan Siew Chern Translated by Tai Ren Ying “D ad, do you need anything?” “Dad, what would you like to eat?” After school, 14-year-old Chien Zhi Yen does not hang out with friends. Instead, he would stop by his mother’s workplace, call home and ask if his father needs anything, and bring them home if he could. This is his daily routine. Upon reaching home, the first thing he does is to check on his wheelchair-bound father, Chien Soo Teng, help him with his current needs, such as, personal hygiene, clearing of defaecation, and so on. Once he settles his father, he gets to relax a bit to have lunch and complete his homework from school. Day after day, he repeats the same care- taking tasks. This is Zhi Yen’s “other home work” besides the usual school homework, but he never considered it a burden. Working part-time to ease family’s burdens When Soo Teng was 23 years old, he was diagnosed with hereditary diabetes. His right leg was amputated and two toes from his left foot were also removed due to festering conditions. After school, 14-year-old Chien Zhi Yen does not hang out with friends. The first thing he does is to check on his wheelchair-bound father, Chien Soo Teng, help him with his current needs, such as, personal hygiene, clearing of defaecation, and so on. This is his “other home work” besides the usual school homework. For his filial act, he was presented with Tzu Chi’s “Filial Piety Award”. pecial Feature