Actress Oh Yoon-ah shared an update on her son with developmental disabilities and added, "Please give him a lot of support."
On the 2nd, the 'Oh! Yoon-ah' channel released footage of Oh Yoon-ah calling her son to greet him while communicating live with subscribers.
Oh Yoon-ah said, "Our Min failed to get into college," and added, "(About my son's employment) he'll be 20 next year, but because he couldn't attend school, we're pushing him into swimming and he's practicing hard. We plan to attend the swimming competitions next year (2006)."
She went on to say, "If he wins at swimming competitions, he can be registered as an athlete, and once registered as an athlete, he can get a job. I heard a lot of that information, so we're going to try it out."
Earlier, Oh Yoon-ah married in 2007 and gave birth to her son Song Min. However, she divorced her ex-husband in 2015, eight years after marriage, and is raising the child alone. She revealed that Song Min has a developmental disability, receiving support from others. She has been sharing the daily life of a single working mom raising a child with developmental disabilities alone through various broadcasts, social media, and YouTube, drawing encouragement and support.
Oh Yoon-ah said her son Song Min's goal is to be a swimmer, and as a mother she supports and is taking care of that dream.
But not long ago she gave a rueful laugh and said, "Min failed at school. Two students failed in the class, and Min was one of those two. All he had to do was not leave, but he left." She expressed frustration, saying, "In the U.S., the kid followed very well, didn't get annoyed, and I thought he would do very well. So I thought he would go to school, but when he actually went, he did very poorly."
She added, "I was so embarrassed when he failed. Tears came and I thought, 'I couldn't pay enough attention, I raised him wrong.' 'I was in an environment where I could raise him well, so why did I just neglect him like this?' I thought if I raised him comfortably he would have better social skills, but I wondered if I had neglected him. I felt sorry and guilty," choking up.
But she did not lose heart. "Rather, it could be a bit more of an opportunity for Min. I heard that friends who do special physical education like our Min have a very good chance of getting jobs. Min likes swimming, and there was swimming there. It was such good news," she said. "A teacher who took charge of him when Min was in the second year of high school helped him improve a lot. Last year the teacher said, 'Min has enough skill, so try entering a competition.' That was a special competition. It was a championship that could provide conditions to go to the Paralympics. I heard that Min has good physical attributes and does well, so it seemed quite possible. But right now he has no competitive spirit or drive and no athlete experience, so if he gains a lot of experience he could have a good chance. The effort of having him swim since he was 5 seems to be paying off. I was surprised because he swims well. He has good athletic ability," she said, expressing hope.
On the broadcast that day, Oh Yoon-ah said, "Min's swimming skills have improved a lot," and asked, "Right? You're good at swimming, aren't you? Min, are you confident?" Her son Min replied, "I'm good! I'm confident! I like it. I like swimming." Oh Yoon-ah said, "Since Min likes swimming, I hope you'll cheer for him as a swimmer in the future."
From a mother's perspective, her son's severe obesity is also a big issue, and regarding her son who is close to 100kg, Oh Yoon-ah laughed heartily, saying, "Our Min even started Wegovy to try to make his face look better, but there has been no reaction at all. What should I do?"
A subscriber left a message saying, "I'm a father of a child with autism raising him in Yongin. I always watch your YouTube and support you. I'm watching right now at the sensory integration center with earphones on." In response, Oh Yoon-ah conveyed a message of support, saying, "I'm so grateful. I always support you too. When you're waiting for your child there you have bad thoughts like 'how long can I keep doing this' and negative thoughts rather than positive ones. Still, if you watch your child grow and focus on the child it seems better. See the child making small progress, cheer and gain strength, and try harder so the child can do well. I've realized that our children especially need attention and love. Just doing that is doing so well. I think you're wonderful."
[Photo] 'Oh! Yoon-ah' screen capture
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