Stories about Carers
Marine's daughter, Cassie, was born at less than 27 weeks and was admitted to the intensive care unit due to underdeveloped organs, which later led to retinopathy. Although her visual impairment is not life-threatening, Cassie suffers from a rare congenital condition called Hirschsprung's disease, where her entire large intestine lacks nerve cells, making normal digestion impossible. Doctors predicted she would not survive past ten months. After multiple medical interventions, Cassie successfully reached the ten-month mark, but she remained hospitalized until she was three. Marine struggles to describe how she endured those difficult days, only recalling the persistent smell of bleach in the hospital, which left her emotionally drained from the frequent admissions.
As Cassie gradually grew stronger, she was finally discharged and began attending the Hong Kong School for the Blind, where her health started to stabilize. Despite only being able to consume liquid food and facing delays in her learning due to treatment, Cassie remained optimistic, often saying, "It's good enough now." A few years ago, Marine lost her husband and no longer insists on anything; she simply hopes for Cassie's healthy and happy growth. Cassie loves music, and Marine wholeheartedly supports her in learning to play the piano, sing, and compose. Although Marine balances work with caring for her daughter, she hopes to create an NGO to provide opportunities for Cassie and other visually impaired children to express their musical talents.
