Actress Oh Yoon-a shared candid feelings about the sharp stares she has faced as a parent raising a child with a disability.
On the 20th, a video titled "Warm comfort shared with moms walking the same path (feat. our supportive subscribers)" was uploaded to the Oh! Yoon-a channel.
That day, after finishing volunteer work, Oh Yoon-a took time to talk with subscribers. Among them were mothers who, like Oh Yoon-a, are raising children with autism, drawing attention. They watched Oh Yoon-a raising her son Song-min, who has a developmental disability, on her broadcasts and said with reddened eyes that "it became comfort and strength," creating a touching moment.
Hearing this, Oh Yoon-a said, "I know that feeling very well. I know so well why tears come right now, and having people who can share and empathize with this makes me feel very reassured," and was moved. The writer said, "You opened up first, didn't you?" and Oh Yoon-a replied, "There are those things, but hearing that they came out because of me and said they became brighter, that they had the courage to get jobs, hearing such words is really very moving and I am truly so grateful."
He choked up and shed tears while saying, "It is always a prayer request of mine. Many people..." Oh Yoon-a said, "I wish many people would find strength; I say that, but you can't know everything inside. How much can I help those people? And I also think, some people might feel uncomfortable with me. Even though they are mothers raising children with the same disability, there are quite a few who think in a way like, 'Why is she so confident? What's so special about her?' or 'She can raise the child because she's a celebrity.' So when that happens, I wondered, 'Is this right? Is it right that I open this up and make it public to people? Am I causing them hardship instead?' because I thought I might be causing a life of comparison," she complained.
She continued, "Even when going on trips, I always worry—I'm able to take better photos, but I always worry while taking them. Is this right? If I show traveling with my child, some people see a comfortable life being shown while others have it tough— is it right to show this? I thought that. But meeting people like those actually gives me more courage and gratitude, and when they tell me such things, I think there will be others who empathize and think, 'Me too, me too.' I'm very thankful," she said.
Then a subscriber who is raising a child with autism said, "Moms like us often want to stay home because we always feel like a nuisance when we go out, but just seeing you have fun and giving your child good experiences outside motivates us and makes us think, 'Should I try going there too?' So if you show things freely without worrying, that itself becomes motivation and gives courage, like 'That place Min went to might be comfortable for our children too; should I try going there?' So I hope you always do whatever you want to do," she encouraged.
In response, Oh Yoon-a said, "I've been having a lot of worries lately. Is it right for me to keep running YouTube like this? For now, I still plan to continue, but I don't know. I don't know what will happen after a while, but seeing people who support me like this, for now I plan to keep going," she said.
Meanwhile, Oh Yoon-a married a non-celebrity in 2007 but divorced in 2015 and has been raising her son Song-min, who has a developmental disability, on her own. She revealed her son's developmental disability for the first time through MBC's Real Men 300 in 2018, and then joined KBS2's Stars' Top Recipe at Fun-Staurant in 2020, sharing single-mom life with her son and receiving much support. Since then she has continued to communicate with the public through social media and YouTube, updating on her current situation.
[Photo] Oh! Yoon-a
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