These are some of the questions that people usually ask Shirley Cheng. More will be added as time goes by.
How did you get juvenile rheumatoid arthritis?
When I was eleven months old (I was just beginning to walk, by the way) I received a TB (tuberculin) skin test, and five days later I developed a very high fever...the rest is history, as they say. Everyone was stunned that such an unfortunate thing could happen.
How come you never received any education at all until you were 11 years old?
I had been extremely ill before eleven years of age. I was hospitalized for years between America and China (I've been to China 6 times). Some days, I couldn't even sit up or move a muscle. I was on deathbed many times, and each time, my mom was my savior and continues to be. My health was stabilized at age eleven, so at last, I was able to start schooling.
How were you able to manage to finish the entire elementary school with only about 180 days of attendance?
I'm super-smart, maybe? (Well, that's what they say.) Seriously, I am a very fast learner. I devoured everything as soon as it was taught to me, and I self-taught myself a lot by reading tons of books. So, I went from just knowing the alphabets and few simple English words at the beginning to reading at a sixth grade level in about 180 days of education (in between, I went to China for the sixth time)...so I entered sixth grade right away. (Those 180 days were spent in a special education class with a super-nice teacher and great classmates.)
Have you really read over 2,000 books?
Yes, I know I've read over 2,000 books, but I don't know the exact number since I don't keep track. The only time I kept track of how many books I read was in the seventh grade because the English teacher required that...I read 210 books that school year.
What kind of books do you enjoy reading?
I read a variety of genres from mystery and horror to classics and folk tales from around the world. I don't read poetry at all, which is somewhat ironic since I am a poet. But I do value poetry; I know a well-written poem is a true work of art and it can capture life so beautifully and delicately.
What caused the five-month internationally broadcast news of your mother Juliet's custody battle?
The case took place in Connecticut in 1990. The doctor there had wanted to operate on six of my joints (both knees, ankles, and hips) in one single operation when he didn't have any medicine to control my inflammation. They gave me Naprosyn on an empty stomach, so I was vomiting up blood (I got very ill and I was all skin and bones under their "care"). My mom wisely refused the surgery, and she immediately lost custody of me. It was a complex case, but I've written about it in great length in my autobiography. Fortunately, she won the case and I didn't get the unwanted and harmful surgery. That's why I'm now advocating parental rights in children's medical care. Parents should have the right to say no to doctors.
What type of mistreatment and abuse did you experience from your one-on-one aides in the public school system?
I'd had aides ranging from unloving to simply being incompetent and everything in between.
a.) Some aides bumped my feet into others while pushing me; one aide wouldn't dress me in my coat during winter--I had eight times pneumonia when aides repeatedly failed to dress me up appropriately. And I had aides who hurt my arms while dressing me (putting on and taking off my coat/jacket). I have severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and we had told them many times to be very careful dressing me.
b.) I had an aide who came to school drunk, frequently falling asleep in classes, etc.. I had a smoker who went out of the school to smoke, delaying my work (the aides needed to get books and classroom material to me whenever they were required during class).
c.) I had aides who came to school very ill, giving me their illness. I caught pneumonia from one very ill aide.
How did you feel when you lost your eyesight at age seventeen?
I was extremely disappointed, but being always a happy person that I am, I remained happy and haven't let it get me down. Life moves on, so I continue on with my life. Why be miserable, putting myself in a much worse situation than the one I'm in? I continue to see--with my heart, and it feels grand.
How did you complete the GED test without the aid of Braille or vision?
I was just able to do mathematical calculations, graphs, and an essay strictly in my head. After I got an answer, I told the lady to record it down (I had a lady in charge of the GED to administer the test to me at my own home and to write down my answers). They had the test on cassette tapes, so I just listened to all the problems.
Do you feel that you need your eyesight to go to Harvard and complete the goals that you have?
Yes, I'd definitely need my eyesight to achieve the career goals I want--to be a scientist. I need eyesight to use a microscope and telescope! I need to know math and physics. Of course, as for my other goals--my life's mission of bringing humor, hope, and healing, for example--I don't need my eyesight. In actuality, what I am doing as a blind and physically disabled author and poet touches an inspires others deeply.
What assistive technology do you use to help you use a computer?
I use a screen reader called Jaws made by FreedomScientific.com. It reads what's on the screen (printed text and HTML, no graphic text) and tells me which keys I type (I can only type using my two index fingers due to my severe arthritis, but I manage it quite well with about 60 words per minute), so that's how I am able to write my books. Not only that--I have completed every self-publishing task, including formatting my manuscripts, on my own. I also do everything else on my own: e-mails, promotion, etc...the whole nine yard.
How can you design and maintain your own website without sight?
I was an avid website-maker when I was fifteen and sixteen (I had my eyesight then), so I still remember most of the basic HTML. Even though I can't see what I'm doing, I am certain what I am doing; and I've tested everything, and things work smoothly. My site may not be the best-looking site out there, but it has all the necessary information. I update my site regularly, and yes, everything on my site is written by me even though I use third-person to keep it professional (at least, that's how I view it).
Why did you decide to become an author at age twenty?
I was an artist of the visual arts when I had my eyesight; after losing my vision, I turned to writing to express myself and to share with others the worlds I create with my heart and imagination.
Why did you decide to write an autobiography?
My mother had always wanted someone to write a biography of my life. So when I became an author, I said, "Hey, let me write my autobiography," because who else could do a better job telling my story than I can? I wrote my autobiography for mainly two reasons:
To empower, inspire, and motivate others through my inspirational life story as a miracle survivor; to bring humor, hope, and healing, and to tell others that no matter what happens to you, no one has the power to destroy your spirit.
And the second reason why I wrote this book is to bring awareness to others about some of the serious issues plaguing our society, specifically the two issues I'm advocating now: I'm advocating parental rights in children's medical care and aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs or the disabled people in general.
In America, parents risk losing custody of their children forever when they disagree with doctors' recommended treatments or even when they want a second opinion. This nightmare has happened to many parents throughout American history, including to my mother. She lost custody of me twice only after disagreeing with doctors recommended treatments--and those treatments would have ended my young life. The last case in 1990 made international headlines; she was on CBS This Morning with Paula Zahn. Fortunately, she won me back both times.
And I survived mistreatment and abuse when I attended public schools; I complained to my schools, they ignored my voice, and I kept on hurting. Both of these ordeals are discussed in depth in my autobiography.
What inspires you to write?
Life! I am a very spiritual person who appreciates and values everything about life. I just feel that life is too precious to be wasted. There are so many beautiful things about life that I can't help but write about.
How can you remain so positive despite everything?
Life! Yes, it's that answer again. I'm just glad to be alive, to enjoy life and what it has to offer. You can say I'm madly in love with life, and that will be 100% true. Call me a love-sick gal!
