Hong Kong mother Chau Ting-ting faced financial hardship and postnatal depression while caring for her autistic son, leading to suicidal thoughts several years ago. Support from a Wemp Foundation-backed programme helped her regain hope.
Chau Ting-ting recalled on Thursday that her son Ziyi began showing signs of autism at age two. She tried sending him to a nursery but withdrew him after seeing him isolated in a corner for half an hour with no interaction from other children.
The family struggled as each one-hour therapy session cost HK$1,600. At the same time, Chau battled postnatal depression.
A doctor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong referred her to the Mindful Support Programme backed by the Wemp Foundation. The charity was founded by former New World Development CEO Adrian Cheng Chi-kong and provided the family with crucial support.