Single mother whose son was born premature then diagnosed with cerebral palsy says more support groups needed in Hong Kong’s hospitals
Ying’s son Jun was born in May 2014 at 25 weeks and weighed just 800 grams and she says more needs to be done as women get married and give birth later in life, with many waiting until their early 30s to have children
More support groups have been set up in public hospitals to help parents having premature babies as more women leave it late to get married and have children.
The latest group, founded at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei, has helped more than 100 families since 2016, including a 27-year-old single mother who wishes to be known only as Ying.
Ying’s son Jun was born in May 2014 at 25 weeks and weighed just 800 grams. He was “a dark-coloured little thing cupped in a nurse’s hands,” she said.
It was just the start of her problems. Ying soon divorced and Jun was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and severe hearing impairment. The landlord then forced them out of their home.
One day in 2015, Ying, who could barely eat and sleep under the pressure, collapsed in a temporary public shelter. But when she woke up from a three-day coma in hospital, she was not alone.
Several mothers and nurses from the neonatal intensive care unit took turns to bring Ying and Jun food and daily supplies. They also helped her apply for a public housing flat after she was discharged from hospital.