Education and Training News
- Girl, 12, helps mentally challenged student
Date: 11-May-2007 Sources: (Shenzhen Daily)
A NANSHAN girl has spent almost every Saturday over the past year accompanying a mentally challenged friend to help her enjoy a normal childhood.
Yang Xinyi, 12, first met Liu Xiaoxia (name changed to protect her privacy), who is one year younger than her, in September 2005, when Yang was playing at her father's factory and Liu was walking with her private tutor.
Yang learned that Liu had been born with a mental problem and poor eyesight. Her health condition prevented her from attending a public school and she had no other friends, the teacher told her.
'I could see her loneliness in her eyes,'said Yang. 'She needed friends, but she was shy.'Yang decided to help. She followed Liu to her classroom and stayed there for the whole afternoon, although Liu did not respond to her 'hello.'
The next weekend, Yang came to the classroom again. Then Liu began talking with her and even played the piano for her. The two soon became good friends and Yang would visit Liu every Saturday, accompanying her from about 9 a.m. to about 4 p.m.
Yang's classmates and teachers also offered their help after hearing Liu's story. They celebrated Liu's birthday and invited Liu to the school's parties. On Children's Day last year, Liu joined the sixth graders of Nanhai Primary School to sing a chorus. The program was popular and Zeng Fuhu, headmaster of the school, said the school's door would be always open to Liu.
Liu's parents said the girl had become much happier and more clever after joining Yang and her classmates. 'We are very happy with her progress and thank Xinyi and her friends for their help,'they said.
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