Last Saturday, the Wanchai headquarters of The Boys' & Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong (BGCA) was filled with the aroma of glutinous rice and the sound of laughter. It was the "Hanami Dango Chinese New Year Gathering," organized by BGCA’s "Social Innovation Charity 3.0 — Youth Social Innovation Service"!

Rare disease families from Lifewire were invited to join, including Hester Chan (undiagnosed rare disease), Chan Yau-chun (Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia), Chan Tsz-kin (Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy), and close friends Tse Cheuk-yau (YY) and Yiu Sum-yuet, who both have SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy). A group of secondary school students also participated.

Together, they kneaded dough to make Japanese dango while sharing stories of their daily lives. Yau-chun’s mother shared photos of their everyday routines, and the students proactively asked questions to better understand rare diseases. The highlight, of course, was tasting the handmade dango, which came in flavors like sweet potato soup, red bean, and roasted soybean flour. Everyone enjoyed them immensely, praising the delicious taste.

We hope this event allows more people to understand the daily obstacles faced by children with physical disabilities and the challenges their caregivers encounter. May we all share in this hope.