Respite Care Service for Patients' Families

Parents of rare disease families took part in activities in Changhua in central Taiwan on October 13 for experience exchanging and emotional support.

At Beginning Cafe, coffee expert Lion explained to these fathers how coffee was fascinating in a bid to help them temporarily forget their responsibilities to take care of their children.

During the beginning of the two-hour coffee session, the fathers were shy and talked little. After a while, they exchanged laughters and established a Line messaging group for networking.

Some of these fathers shed tears as they talked about how their rare disease children met difficulties in studying and seeking medical treatment, and how they faced discrimination on public occasions after a guest speaker psychologist Xue Kairen encouraged them to open up themselves.

For the mothers, meanwhile, the Taiwan Foundation for Rare Disorders (TFRD) also held a session involving aromatherapy, massage, conscious control of breathing and meditation to help them relax.

The TFRD also encouraged the mothers to apply what they learned to their spouses and children at home.

Translator: William Luo (MPS), Reviewer: Alex Chiang