Mui Thomas from Hong Kong
is a very particular young woman. Simply by the fact that she has already
reached her 22nd year of life. Mui was born with ichthyosis graves. Due to this
hereditary skin disease, the skin grows 10-times faster than normal.
Consequently tearing and bursting constantly and the painful tears are
extremely prone to infections. Most affected by this disease die during
childhood.
When Mui was born, Tina
and Roger Thomas, two emigrants from Germany and Great Britain, were
volunteering in a hospital. They instantly made a connection with the little
mite and visited every couple of days. The child however, was soon taken to a
home for the mentally disabled. "There she would be hidden from
society", remembered Roger. "But she is mentally completely healthy.
We now had to make a decision." And the decision was: to adopt this girl!
Mui has grown into a
confident, happy, young woman - despite the stares and stolen whispers, that
accompanies her every move. She reacts back with a smile or a wave. But that
was not always the case.
In her school years she
was so severely bullied that the girl even considered suicide. Some parts of
the school building Mui was not allowed to enter, because the school wanted to
protect a boy who claimed to be afraid of her. "A lady once spat in my
wife's face and accused her of having burnt Mui", recounts Roger.
"But we have always shown her how important it is, to enjoy the world, to
use the day. While you never know, what's waiting just around the corner."
And Mui has found her
way: she is a teacher for children with learning difficulties in the Hong Kong
district of Wan Chai - and a rugby arbitrator! The contact-sport is her
greatest passion and on the field nobody makes a food of her. She dreams of
soon being allowed to blow the final whistle in international games.
"People with different appearances are
often scared to go out and show the world what they have to offer",
believes Mui. "But I was always like this, and have simply done whatever I
had to, regardless of what other people think."
"The message that I
would like to give people is: Don't let anything hold you back, no disability
or disease - you are on this in this world to have a good time!", said the
22-year old. "I hope that the the people who have the same impairments and
different appearances feel more accepted. They may look different. But that are
still just people."
This year the Hong Kong Rugby
Union awarded Mui the Arbitrator Prise for "inspiring to master the
challenges and adversities of life." And so she is! When the story of Mui
Thomas amazed and delighted you, then share it with your friends and family.
Source : hefty