The Eyes of the Lion
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"Look at her, she walks funny and talks funny." One of my classmates, George, uttered these words, and the rest of them followed. I walked while my arms and hands, legs and feet twitched and shook uncontrollably. Slowly I walked up two flights of stairs clawing the handrail or climbing on hands and feet to push myself up the stairs. I opened the door of my apartment with my home key. My father sat in his usual seat, sipping his beer. The smell of Budweiser permeated the place as I walked past him to my room. Angrily he got out of his chair and came to where I was, swiped his hand across my head, and knocked me to the floor. He furiously smashed his glass cup against the table so that the beer splattered all over it and came after me. When I saw him coming, I lifted my feet up in the air to push him away. He hurried back to the kitchen, got himself a butcher knife, stood next to me and said, "Come on."
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About the Book
Cindy Yee Kong was a normal little girl living a normal, everyday life in Hong Kong—until a crippling genetic disease reshaped not only her body but her sense of self. She developed uncontrollable twitching and slurred speech, making even the most mundane daily tasks a challenge. Yee’s childhood was defined by an endless string of appointments, as doctor after doctor tried in vain to help her. Desperate, she and her mother moved to New York in the hope of a new life. There, she faced insurmountable pressure to adapt to a new country, culture, and language. Tragically, in a home still haunted by alcoholism, her life was tainted by physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse. After a horrifying attack left her body and heart shattered, Yee struggled with shame and fear. In 1995, she was finally able to put a name to her condition—dopa-responsive dystonia—and her long path of treatment began. From a young age, Yee felt that the only one she could count on was herself. But then, in the midst of her darkest days, she experienced the miracle of true friend’s compassion and was able to begin the slow crawl out of despair. Determined not to be a victim anymore, she devoted herself to her education, earning her degree in sociology from Stony Brook University. A former social worker, Yee shares her story of pain, fear, and optimism, hoping to inspire others to push through their darkest times, too.
About the Author
Cindy Yee Kong was born in China and immigrated to New York with her family in 1980. She earned her sociology degree from New York’s Stony Brook University and built a career as a social worker. She wrote The Eyes of the Lion to inspire others to always persevere.