Student with rare condition wins Presidential Education Award

Student with rare condition wins Presidential Education Award

2025-08-04

Hsingkang Junior High graduate Tung Yen-chun from Chiayi was a recipient of this year’s Presidential Education Award. As a child, Tung developed the rare condition purpura. But despite her struggles, she continued in her studies and fostered a love for drawing, even winning first prize in a children’s drawing competition in Japan. Now that she’s entering high school, she’s determined to get into a medical university and become a doctor to help others like herself.

Amidst the clamor of firecrackers and drums, Chiayi Hsingkang Junior High graduate Tung Yen-chun helps her mother serve customers. This has been her life for over 10 years.

Acting as her mother’s assistant, she helps pack orders and run the register. When not busy, she sits behind the counter and concentrates on her studies. Nothing could disturb her.

Tung Yen-chun
Hsingkang Junior High graduate
In elementary school I would help at the stall, then walk to school when we were done. After school, I’d come back to help close up. Whenever I’d have a moment, I’d do my homework.

Tung is one of only five students from Chiayi to win this year’s Presidential Education Award. When she was young, she developed the rare condition purpura. Despite this, she continued studying hard and fell in love with drawing. She even won first prize in a children’s drawing competition in Japan.

Tung Yen-chun’s mother
She got commendations from national competitions, then sent her work to compete in Japan where she won the top prize. When she was four or five, she developed a persistent fever after getting a flu shot and the purpura appeared within a year after that. Whenever you get a cold or high fever, your platelet count can get dangerously low.

Tung Yen-chun
Hsingkang Junior High graduate
I’m very happy when I’m drawing, and it can relieve stress.

The walls at home are covered in Tung’s awards. Her mother even printed her award-winning drawing on a T-shirt so she can show off her motherly pride at all times. Being raised by a single parent and developing a rare condition didn’t break Tung. It gave her even more determination.

Tung Yen-chun
Hsingkang Junior High graduate
Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to become a doctor. I want to get into medical school and become a doctor so I can help more people.

This young academic, doggedly resilient even while growing up in small food stall without many resources, shows the spirit of perseverance represented by the Presidential Education Award.

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罹患罕病立志從醫新港國中生董晏鈞"獲頒總統教育獎"

2025-08-04

嘉義縣新港國中畢業生董晏鈞，今年榮獲總統教育獎。小時候不明原因導致她罹患罕見的紫斑症，儘管飽受病痛折磨，她仍然發憤唸書，尤其熱愛繪畫，還曾經得到日本兒童繪會比賽的第一名。如今就要上高中，董晏鈞也立下志願，希望能靠上醫學院，當醫生懸壺濟世。

在喧囂的鞭炮、鑼鼓聲中，扯著噪子幫媽媽叫賣，她是嘉義縣新港國中畢業生董晏鈞，這樣的事情她已經做了十幾年。

就像是媽媽的小幫手，幫忙打包結帳，不忙的時候，她就坐在攤位後面，專心的看著平板讀書，外面的世界在吵也吵不到她。

[[新港國中畢業生董晏鈞]]
“國小時我就幫忙擺攤，然後擺完攤就走路去上學，放學後再回來幫忙收攤，也會利用空檔，寫字讀書”

董晏鈞是今年嘉義縣榮獲總統教育獎的五名學生之一，小時候不明原因導致她罹患紫斑症，儘管飽受病痛折磨，她仍然發憤唸書，尤其熱愛繪畫，還曾經得到日本兒童繪會比賽的第一名。

[[董晏鈞母親]]
“他是經過台灣的全國特優，然後再送到日本去參賽，在日本獲得了特金賞。在四、五歲的時候，因為打了流感疫苗後高燒不退，然後就出現了紫斑症，一年裡面可能會出現，只要感冒高燒各方面，就會出現血小板低到危險值”

[[新港國中畢業生董晏鈞]]
“畫畫的時候就非常開心，然後可以解壓”

家中牆壁貼滿了各式各樣的獎狀，母親還把得獎的畫作印製成T恤，在在都顯示出她是母親的驕傲。單親又罹患罕見疾病，不但沒有擊垮晏鈞，反而讓她更發憤向上。

[[新港國中畢業生董晏鈞]]
“從小就一個願望，可以當一名醫生，然後考上醫學院，然後能夠成為醫生，幫助更多的病人”

沒有富裕的環境，小攤子養大的孩子，展現堅強的韌性，正是總統教育獎象徵的堅毅與精神。

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