For most of her life as an adult, Stephanie Chung lived a double life.
In public, she was the beautiful and talented wife of a successful businessman, Peter Chung. The concert pianist, he was a celebrity himself. But many people did not know that at home in her private life, she struggled almost daily against the stress and discrimination that came with being the mother of a severely handicapped son.
According to Stephanie's custom in Korea, families are reluctant to admit that they have children with disabilities. In fact, they are often viewed as shameful as their parents and bring bad luck to their families. For this reason, many people hide their disabled children and never admit to being outside the home.
Stephanie had five children. Her first child, Joseph, was born with autism, but she could not for several years. He noticed a slight difference between his two first sons. But it wasn't until he tried to enroll in preschool that Stephanie realized how different Joseph was.
"I think you should take Joseph to the doctor," said the kindergarten teacher.
Still, Stephanie was convinced that it was just a matter of cultural or linguistic differences that separated her eldest son from his peers. He decided to find a Korean kindergarten and bring her there. However, it was not long before her new kindergarten teacher suggested that she might have some learning disability, and she should see a doctor.
Joseph's diagnosis
In fact, doctors discovered that Joseph had autism, a condition Stephanie had never heard of. Realizing that there was no solution to her son's death, she sank deeper into depression. You see, according to their culture, a child with a disability is considered a shame, and it is not uncommon for families to hide their disabled children. In her dark hours, filled with embarrassment and pain, Stephanie asked why she or her son had been born.
Eventually, he learned to live a double life. In public, he seemed to be living a perfect life. Her husband was a successful businessman; he was also a concert pianist. But few people could see the pain he was feeling in private.
When Joseph was about 8 years old, his school took a sport trip - swimming at the beach. Stephanie was upset at the last minute details of a wedding held in their home that weekend. Swimming was another activity Joseph did well, and he was eager to go that day.
Phone Call
That afternoon, Stephanie received a call that would change her life forever. Her son was in the hospital because of drowning. When Stephanie asked if they had been able to wake her up, the voice at the end of the line said, drive safely! At that moment, Stephanie realized that she had no interest in her son's disability; he only wanted her to live.
The ten-minute journey to the hospital did not take long. Stephanie begged God to spare her son's life. At the hospital, the prediction was very bad. Her son had been found by a diver, floating in the ocean. By the time they got help, he had consumed so much water that doctors said that if he did not wake up within 48 hours; they should cut him off from supporting life.
Stephanie sat next to her eldest son that night, begging God to forgive her for her sinful attitude and to allow Joseph to live. The next morning, he called Joseph's name, and his eyes were opened. Her prayers had been answered!
Depression Recommended
Somehow, on that fateful night, everything changed for Stephanie. Her depression rose. He says,
Before, I used to complain and ask God, 'Why did it happen to me?' Nothing has changed for Joseph, yet I am very grateful for him; full of love for him.
And instead of hiding, she was overwhelmed with stress, Stephanie focused on God's plan for her. He says that despite his depression and feelings of sadness and anger, he always knew in his heart that God loved him. This was the rope that held him to God and the hope that enabled him to keep going. And now he knows that instead of letting negative feelings overwhelm him, he needs to pour out his heart to the God he loves and who alone knows the plan and purpose of Joseph's life - and his own.
God's plan for Stephanie and Joseph
God used a seemingly simple event to reveal His plan for Stephanie and Joseph.
Stephanie was scheduled to accompany the famous Korean singer to a concert in Vancouver. A local reporter contacted Stephanie to interview her for a 'local angle'. Often when interviewed, and the subject of her family came up, Stephanie rode each child quickly, especially avoiding the topic of her eldest son, Joseph. For some reason, on this day, the interviewer pressured him to get information about her. Without thinking, Stephanie walked out,
"She is disabled, and she is a blessing."
However, when the interview was published, the theme was,
“Stephanie Chung has an angel; His name is Joseph. ”
And there was not a single word about the concert on the topic!
Until now, some people knew that Stephanie and Peter had an autistic son, but it certainly was not something that was widely known. In this article, he not only introduced the world to Joseph's character, but also revealed to him how proud he was of himself and how he was truly one of the greatest blessings in his life. Through this article, Stephanie invited women in similar circumstances to contact her.
“I knew what these women were going through,” said Stephanie, “and I was there. I wanted to be their shoulder, hug them, cry with them, and let them know it would be all right. ”
Still, he was surprised when the calls began. Shortly after the article was published, Stephanie met four other women at a local restaurant. They meet like strangers. After two hours of discussing their common pain, loneliness and frustration, they left as sisters.
Support Group and Bible Study Group
To these women I am
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