Due to drug abuse and negligence, Connie’s (alias) family failed to take good care of her. She had to move into a small group home at the age of 4, where regular caretakers (including a couple) worked on shifts to provide her a stable childhood. Soon after adolescence, girls of similar age left one by one, leaving behind the younger children who were incompatible with her. Even worse, this situation triggered her hidden sense of loneliness and helplessness. She threw temper tantrum at those who cared about her.
For Connie’s emotional issues, her SWD caseworker assisted with referral to a clinical psychologist (CP) and helped her move to a new environment. At the age of 16, she moved into a girl’s hostel for high school students. There she met new friends and had a little more freedom but the rules still need to be followed. For example, she used to sleep with the lights on. Now she could only use a little night light instead.
Good Character and Academic Performances still not enough?
Without support of the original family, Connie’s relatives and friends urged her to succeed in her studies so she could transit to independent living smoothly. Throughout the years, she set high standards for herself. Living up to all expectations, she is excellent in both her character and academic performances. She is good in literature and sports, and has a solid foundation in art. She is sportive and a member of the school running team. She knows Judo, table tennis, swimming, canoeing and other outdoor sports. She is tanned, and should be displaying limitless youthful vitality… However, in front of us is a petite and a bit hunched young figure. She lacks the brightness and positive energy that is anticipated at this age. It turned out that when everything seemed fine, her sense of inadequacy and inferiority lingered. This time, she was concerned about her appearance and considered her body shape sub-standard. Indeed, she is not fat at all but she used extreme methods to help herself “lose weight”.
Right Care Right Time for Priceless Health
After the summer holiday, SWD CP diagnosed Connie with anorexia (a form of eating disorder). The Hostel in Charge referred her to Project 3R* which is supported by The Hongkong Bank Foundation through The Community Chest of Hong Kong and provides medical and counseling services for assessment and follow-up. Shortly after, 3R family doctor referred her to 3R psychiatrist and nutritionist for evaluation. 3R specialist doctor gave her medication and conducted blood test immediately. She was grateful for the timely help which made her feel more relaxed. Various professionals also gave her valuable advices. While her condition was stabilizing, out of everyone’s expectation, she continued to participate in the running competition and fainted during the 800-meter run on the School Sports Day. Ambulance was called for immediate treatment. In the hospital, SWD caseworker asked for referral to public medical services so as to ease everyone’s concern. However, Connie did not seem to learn from the experience and continued to participate in the dragon boat training afterward. As a result, she fainted again and was sent to the hospital for recovery.
Lay Solid Foundation for the Future
Connie considers herself as a bit stubborn and likes keeping her own opinions. On one hand, she is self-demanding and always pursues excellence. On the other hand, she has low self-image and always thinks she is not good enough. She also has sleep problems. Perhaps the little night light beside her bed could give her a bit of warmth, comfort and companionship. Pray that Connie will recover with the help of various social welfare services. So she could lay a good foundation of health, persevere for the things she loves with unparalleled sportsmanship, no longer live under the eyes of others, cherish priceless physical and mental health, and welcome a bright future.
*3R plan – Right Care, Right Time & Right Team Project https://www.ech.org.hk/en/services/3r-project/
