I am proud of my son, Liang Chen. To me, he is a hero. Now 24 years of age, he has grown up with a face scarred with burns, and has survived the shocked stares of both his peers and passersby and learned to cope with prejudice and discrimination.

Liang Chen fixes a wheel. [China Daily]

He has maintained his peace of mind through everything. He now manages his own bicycle repair shop near our home in Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province, and has won the respect and trust of our neighbours and friends.

Sometimes he also travels with his cyclist friends when they go different places to perform, showing off their cycling skills.

My husband and I have only ourselves to blame for our son's burns. He was 3 years old then. A kettle of water was boiling on the coal firepot, and we were not watching him closely enough. He knocked the firepot over and the boiling water spilled over his face.

For years I cried on the anniversary of his accident and subsequent suffering.

When he started primary school, he sometimes had to face the snickering and scorn of some of his classmates.

Liang enjoys a hearty lunch at his small repair shop with parents.

To help him, we often took him to public places crowded with people so that he would learn to mix with other people and develop confidence in himself.

Now, he has grown up, and I believe that the scars on his face have not cast a shadow over his life. Two years ago he and I were walking across the Yangtze River Bridge when we met two young women in fashionable dress.

"How frightening," one of them said loudly. I wanted to reproach them, but my son stopped me and said it was understandable that younger women could easily be scared.

Six years ago when he graduated from senior middle school, he had trouble finding a job. The employment personnel in some offices implied that they could not believe that my son, given his appearance, could dream of working in their firms.

In the end, he said to me: "Mum, I am a skillful cyclist and I know how to repair bicycles. How about opening a bicycle repair shop of our own? I am sure I can do it and you won't have to beg others for help anymore."

Three years ago, the Liang Chen Bicycle Repair Shop opened.

Over the past three years, our son has won the trust of our neighbours through his hard work, mechanical skills and excellent service. He is running a good business.

Now, in addition to repairing bicycles, he fixes the electric appliances and gas stoves of local residents.

Liang performs a high-flying trick near his bicycle repare shop in Wuhan.

A colleague of his father Liang Shoushen, surnamed Jiang, has often told us: "Not many young people are as serious about their work as Liang Chen. I am very fond of him. I have no worries about his future."

At his shop, he has also made friends with his fellow cycling fans. They practise bicycle stunts together every day and exchange ideas and experiences. They have mastered a number of aerial tricks and are often invited to show off their skills.

I was very happy the other day when I heard that my son was going to Jingzhou with his fellow biking enthusiasts to take part in a performance.

Now both my husband and I are retired. But we have confidence in our son, as he is able to support himself with his own business and is doing well in mainstream society.

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