I hope this issue finds you well and happy. For those of you who missed my interview on Lillian's SpeakOut! on March 8, you can go to my site and download it there: http://www.shirleycheng.com It's under "Radio Interviews with Shirley Cheng." As you can see, I've redesigned my site, changing the colors and adding bookmark links to make the navigation of my site easier.

At 9:00 a.m. CDT earlier this morning, I appeared live on WLTH 1370 AM with host Robert Banks. I had a wonderful time, and I was honored to be on Robert's show because he is such a nice person and great host. I apologize that I did not let you guys know about this interview, but I was scheduled just yesterday, so I did not get a chance to share the news.

Like many of the previous radio hosts, Robert was curious to know how do I remain so positive and so happy despite all of my disabilities. I told him and his listeners, "I believe I was blessed with the element of positivity. I have always been a happy person; I was known as the Happy Baby, even when I was in great pain. I spent my early years in constant pain and was hospitalized for many years between America and China until age eleven. It is my passion for life that has allowed me to go for the gold medal in life. I count my blessings every day and I value life. I cherish every minute. I hold on to the happy moments, learn from my mistakes, and I move forward; I don't dwell on the bad moments. I focus on the good things, on the positive side of things."

And toward the end, I said, "Always keep in mind that there is always someone out there who is in a much worse situation than you are in, so be thankful for what you have and who is around you!"

I received a five-star review on Amazon for Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells:

Review by Malcolm R. Campbell, Campbell Editorial Services

The enchanting tales and poems in this book dance on the page. They are well written and exuberant. With a gentle touch, they inspire and teach profound life lessons in the manner of mythic tales and fables. After stories such as "The Greedy Cat" and "The Dishonest Fox" bring a knowing smile to your face, they will delight your children and grandchildren through multiple readings.

Last but not least...
I am looking for nonfictional short stories and articles for my website ( http://www.shirleycheng.com) on the following topics:
1. Parental rights in children's medical care: Personal stories from parents who have run into trouble with the American law when they said no to doctors' recommended treatments or when they wanted a second opinion; personal stories from children who have been affected by these kinds of custody cases involving their parents and doctors.
2. Disabled/special-need students with one-to-one aides in schools: personal stories from people of all ages who had experienced mistreatment or abuse from the one-to-one aides assigned to them to help with their physical needs (i.e. push the wheelchair, bathroom needs) when they attended public schools in America.
3. Personal stories and articles about blind and/or disabled computer users, and blind and/or disabled writers, focusing on their challenges and success
4. Personal stories or opinion articles about disability issues/challenges that disabled people face, either on a regular basis or occasionally
5. Personal stories and articles about the special bond between parent and child, especially the powerful maternal love

Credit, with a short bio, will be given to each and every entry posted on my site. Since I'm asking for entries from people of all ages and walks of life, I'm not looking for literary merit; I'm interested in the content, but the entries have to be clear and concise (I might need to edit the entry for that purpose). Of course, if you're a professional writer, I expect a well-written piece. Please e-mail me via my site http://www.shirleycheng.com with inquiries first before submitting anything, and no attachments please. I'd greatly appreciate it if you could forward my request to others. Thank you, and I look forward to receiving your submissions.

-Shirley Cheng is a blind and physically disabled author and poet of three books by age 20, and an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care and students with special needs. She is the survivor of the 1990 five-month internationally broadcast custody case involving her mother Juliet Cheng and a Connecticut doctor.

Thank you. See you in the next issue!

Shirley Cheng