The Story of Jing-Yang Lin

Embrace Your Dream and Fly:The Story of Jing-Yang Lin

Written by Lien-Ye Wang, teacher of painting class of Taiwan Foundation for Rare 
Disorders 

I met Jing-Yang at the foundation’s painting class in 2008. I could never forget how 
the timid, shy, yet somehow still confident boy entered the classroom. Normally, I 
would be reluctant to leave the house with a little eye-swelling and exhaustion due 
to my lack of sleep from the night before. I have nothing comparing to this boy’s 
courage and understanding. He has Neurofibromatosis, which deforms his face 
uncontrollably. 

Jing-Yang is always active in the classroom. He can answer most of the questions 
accurately, but sometimes miss because he was too busy raising his hand as 
quickly as possible without thinking about the question; he’d ask: “what were we 
suppose to draw?”, which cracks everyone up. His positive and energetic attitude 
in class encouraged the others that were too shy to participate at first. 

Jing-Yang is happy, shrewd, and full of thoughts. I saw the way he creates 
his art, how he is careful, creative, and full with thoughts of his own. I saw his 
maturity and confidence through his weekly production. Having only one eye’s 
vision due to his disease, Jing-Yang nevertheless retains his curiosity to the world 
around him; and with the derogatory stares from other people, he feels more and 
understands more than a normal child. 

Jing-Yang is protected in a fort with love and warmth. His grandmother promised to 
become a permanent vegetarian as soon as he was born in hopes of giving him 
blessing. Jing-Yang’s parents are kind, refined, and sincere; his sister wishes to be like 
the sun in the sky, companying and caring for him forever. With a family filled with 
love, Jing-Yang is able to enter the world bravely and grow up with happiness; he is 
able to cope with his disease in spite of the challenges it gives him and live a healthy 
and inspiring life. 

Many Congratulations to Jing-Yang, who won the 5th “Embrace Your Dream and 
Fly” award granted by the Taipei District Government. This is an honor of surmounting 
life’s difficulties. I not only share with you your joy, but also bless you. I wish you well 
as you beat on tomorrow letting more people understand the courage of children like you.