Father of boy born with two toes and cerebral palsy desperate for him to go to school
THE father of a young boy born with just two toes on each foot says his greatest hope is to see his boy go to school one day.
Duan Deyuan, dad of the boy known as “Chang Chang”, said his son was born with cerebral palsy on top of the birth defect that left him with just four toes.
The 41-year-old from Luotian County in Huanggang City in China’s central Hubei Province was desperate to start a family and eventually married his current wife in 2008.
She suffers from mental illness, Duan revealed, and together they had a daughter and then their son, Chang Chang, who is now around five years old. Their daughter is believed to be healthy. Duan however also suffers from a foot problem, that his son appears to have inherited.
Duan, who is a construction worker, said he has asked all nearby public schools to enrol Chang Chang, but he has been refused time and time again because his little boy cannot actually speak.
Despite reaching school-going age, the boy is unable to articulate words – thought to be the result of his untreated cerebral palsy.
This is proving to be a more serious hindrance than the boy’s four toes, as he is still able to walk around.
Duan said he now hopes Chang Chang will be accepted at a special needs school for the deaf-mute, but does not know where to find one or how to fund his son’s education.
The local government is expected to subsidies the family, but Duan still does not know whether Chang Chang will meet the requirements of the deaf-mute school.