"Confidant Sister" illuminates the little "star" with love

The winter sun shines into the classroom, and the teachers and children of the Love Star Dream Star Youth Growth Base are preparing for the annual meeting program. The children laughed and said they were going to sing a song called "Friends" — a group of autistic children known as the "children of the stars." Bringing these children together is Liang Yafeng, a candidate for the December 2021 "China Good People List" and the initiator of the Love Star Dream Public Welfare.

"The kids pulled me out of the trough of my life"

Standing in front of the reporter's eyes, Liang Yafeng, with her short neat hair and a pair of bright eyes, looks particularly sunny, making it difficult for people to guess that she is 44 years old. Liang Yafeng, who was originally engaged in event planning, suffered a low point in her life in 2012, and the death of her father and the ups and downs of her feelings and career made her collapse.

In the autumn of 2013, by chance, Liang Yafeng came to a rehabilitation center for autistic children as a volunteer, and from time to time several children came around and asked strange questions: "Do you like black houses", "Shouldn't I make strange noises", "Can I hold your hand"... Looking at these children with simple eyes, Liang Yafeng's heart softened, and from that moment on, she wanted to get close to these "star children" and take care of them like a sister. "Their hearts are very clean and pure, and with them I will feel the joy from the heart, and the children's laughter shines into my heart like light, and it heals me, and they pull me out of the trough of life." 」 Liang Yayu choked and said.

"I have to hold up the sky for the kids"

Doudou, who was born in a single-parent family, was the first autistic child Liang Yafeng met, and the two have been indissoluble since then. Last year, when Doudou's mother was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer, when she was informed of her condition, she said: "I want to try to live, even if I can spend one more day with my child." But it backfired, and she died of illness in August of that year.

After the death of her mother, Doudou was not taken care of, Liang Yafeng looked anxious in her eyes, she ran in many ways, and finally handled the help procedures for Doudou. Today, Doudou lives in the Love Star Dream Star Youth Growth Base and grows up healthily under the care of the teachers.

"Now Doudou is 14 years old, when I first met him, he was only a 6-year-old child, and the Love Star Dream Star Youth Growth Base was actually built because of Doudou." Liang Yafeng said that some time ago, her mother fell ill, as an only child, she experienced the difficulty of taking care of her elders, "We are still like this, many of these autistic children are only children, who will take care of their parents when they are old?" Who cares for these children? I have to hold up a piece of heaven for them! ”

Considering the special situation of Doudou and in order to realize the idea of "double pension" between parents and children, Liang Yafeng and other volunteers mobilized parents around them to choose a site, raise funds, and rent a house of more than 500 square meters as the first collective dormitory for mentally handicapped people in Tianjin.

"New Year's Day holiday, what about Doudou?" In the face of the reporter's question, Liang Yafeng said without hesitation: "Follow me home." He was my son, and he called me mom too. As she spoke, her eyes moistened again.

Long-term support for 378 groups of families

Looking at Liang Yafeng's WeChat circle of friends, it is full of photos of "children of stars" participating in various activities, including flower arrangement, painting, yoga, baking and so on. Liang Yafeng used his personal connections and planning skills to undertake various public welfare activities, trying to do everything possible to let children go out of the house, integrate into society, and exercise children's hands-on ability in practice.

From 2016 to 2021, under the leadership of Liang Yafeng, Aixing Dream Public Welfare has long helped a total of 378 groups of families with autism, and the children's self-care ability has improved to varying degrees. "When a 10-year-old first came, he didn't know how to urinate or defecate, and he still wore diapers, and after a month he understood that he had to go to the toilet; girls in their 20s didn't dare to talk to strangers, and when they came here, they went from crying when they talked to 'talking'." Liang Yafeng said that through daily training, the base allows children to master certain work skills and improve their language communication, hand-brain coordination and other aspects.

While sending surprises to children and parents, Liang Yafeng himself also gained a lot of touches. Six of the 15 teachers at the base are parents of children with self-illness. "I found that children have not been in contact with society for a long time, and their abilities have deteriorated in all aspects, as a parent, I am very worried, and after contacting Mr. Liang, I decided to join this team and wanted to do more for autistic children." A parent who works in the Love Star Dream Public Welfare Team said.

In the past 8 years, Liang Yafeng has changed from a volunteer to a public welfare organization initiator, although there have always been voices of confusion and opposition around her, she always calmly deals with it, she said: "Everyone has a meaning of existence, and the meaning of my existence is to let these special children feel the beauty of the world." ”

The picture shows a child with autism doing exercise under the guidance of a teacher. Photo by Di Hui

【Source: Tonight Newspaper】