2024-05-04 12:28:18
Episode 712 airing today at 11:25 am on the 4th (Sat) <아들바라기 엄마의 선택> In this episode, the story of an intellectually disabled mother who was left to take care of her intellectually disabled son alone after his father passed away, and a mother and son who are taking steps forward into the world to become independent.
A mother with a level 2 intellectual disability taking care of her son with a level 1 intellectual disability.
“I just thought my daughter was a bit lacking… When I looked at her school report card, the teacher wrote that she had an intellectual disability. “My grandson Ji-hwan has not made eye contact with people since he was born, and when it was time to talk to him, he didn’t… so I got tested and was diagnosed with a disability.”
– Jihwan’s grandmother
“Ji-hwan went to kindergarten, but he cried all the time… He got beaten up all the time at school… I thought he couldn’t go to a regular school anymore, so I sent him to a school for the disabled, but he couldn’t go to school here and had to go to Sangju…”
– Jihwan’s grandmother
Daughter Jeong-mi and grandson Ji-hwan, who were diagnosed with intellectual disability, lived safely in a mountain village under the great care of their grandfather and grandmother. However, as he entered school age, Ji-hwan was unable to adapt to school life, and eventually Jeong-mi and her mother found a new home in downtown Sangju, where a special school was located.
For Ms. Jeong-mi, who has a son in his first year of high school, mornings are quite different from those at other homes. Ji-hwan is teaching her to wash her own hair, but she doesn’t rinse it properly, so even on busy mornings, her mother, Jeong-mi, washes the hair of her son, who is much taller than her mother. Also, Jeong-mi is worried that Ji-hwan might get lost or get into an accident on the morning city road when there are a lot of cars passing by. Her mother, Jeongmi, holds her son’s hand and walks with her to her school bus. The mother turns around feeling relieved after seeing Ji-hwan safely board the bus.
When Jeong-mi comes home, she quickly starts doing her housework.
The single room where Jeong-mi and her mother have been living for three years are not properly ventilated, so there is mold everywhere, and dust has accumulated, making the gas and electric facilities look very dangerous.
“You can cook rice and feed it, but I think I might burn it if I make a mistake, so I feed it heated instant rice.”
– Ji-hwan’s mother
Jeong-mi and her mother no longer have anyone to turn to for help after her father, who was a huge supporter, passed away.
“When my grandfather passed away, Ji-hwan came and held my hand, oh Ji-hwan… I held on to him and then let him go… There is nothing I can do since my grandfather is passing away. I’m always worried because I’m not feeling well like this. I need to live a healthier life to take care of myself. “I’m always worried about what to do with my daughter and grandson.”
– Jihwan’s grandmother
“I miss my grandfather a lot. “Buy me a lot of kimbap, give me a ride in the car, buy me keys… I miss my grandfather.”
– Jihwan
I was very worried about whether Jeong-mi and her mother would be able to live separately, but it was possible because of the strength of my father. Her parents farmed and did not spare any support for her daughter and grandson, and her father drove his grandson Ji-hwan around in his car and showed him the world. However, Jeong-mi’s life changed when her father suddenly passed away in January last year.
My mother cannot afford to take care of Jeong-mi’s mother and son by herself, and she is not in good shape due to old age. She has a lot of work to do in her small house, but since her father passed away, there is no one she can turn to for help.
Ji-hwan, who loved his grandfather more than anyone else, still can’t forget his grandfather and sheds tears while holding his grandfather’s belongings in his heart. Seeing her like that, her mother, Jeong-mi, also gets so choked up that she can’t continue speaking. The mother and son hug each other and cry every day.
The mother’s wish is for her son Ji-hwan to learn letters and numbers so that he can lead a social life.
“Ji-hwan’s body has now grown to the point where he can be considered an adult, but in terms of cognition and emotions, I think he can be viewed as a 7-year-old. Jihwan is bright and likes people. However, since it is just around the age of 7, we need to help them adapt well. To achieve this, education must continue, emotional support must be provided, and language support must also be provided. “We need a lot of help from society in many ways.”
-Jihwan, teacher at the Language Psychology Learning Center
These days, Jihwan is working hard on studying Korean and numbers. I’m learning the units of money in school: 50 won, 100 won, 1,000 won, 5,000 won, but calculating them isn’t easy and gives me a headache. After school, I go to the learning center to receive social skills training, and when I return home, I continue studying Korean with my mom. Mother Jeong-mi’s wish is for Ji-hwan to learn Hangul and numbers, go out into society, avoid being scammed, and become a person who does her part. She doesn’t forget to spend time studying with her mother every day, as if Ji-hwan also knows how her mother feels.
Jeong-mi, who sees Ji-hwan growing slowly but little by little, tries to cheer up even though she is not a good mother. Please support Mother and Child’s efforts to stand alone so that they can bravely go out into the bigger world.
EBS’ representative social contribution program that supports neighbors in need by collecting donations of 3,000 won per currency. <나눔 0700>. The episode ‘A Mother’s Choice for Her Son’ will be aired on EBS1TV at 11:25 a.m. on the 4th (Saturday).
photo EBS <나눔 0700>
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2024-05-04 12:28:18