Since 2004, TFRD has held Mind Painting Class and organized Celestial Voice Choir for patients every weekend. Many of them have walked out of their closed life circles to build friendships and confidence by participating in these activities.

On June 11, 2013, TFRD and Commonwealth Publishing Group jointly held a book launch party on The Lesson on the Weekend at Taipei mayor's residence. Every rare disease patient is a "lucky one" in a million. Ms. Serena Wu, founder of TFRD, said, "The rare disease patient, who is destined to fight against the disease fierce as a hungry tiger but to drift for life, has a similar fate to the young man in the film Life of Pi."

Master Guo Dong, abbot of Dharma Drum Mountain, said, "After reading The Lesson on the Weekend, I am deeply moved by the arduous journey of life the patients and their families have been through and the perseverance as well as the courage shown in it. Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain, once said, ‘one can be ill very healthily by holding a positive mind; one can also be altruistic even if he/she has difficulty in moving’.”

The 13-year-old Qiao Qiao has been ill since her early childhood. She couldn’t crawl until she was three and could only stand up at the age of six. She and her mother participated in TFRD’s Celestial Voice Choir. Every time she went home from the choir, she kept practicing the newly-learned songs. Through singing practice, her pronunciation, volume control and sentence expression were improved. Zheng Ling, who suffers from muscular dystrophy, started to use a wheelchair in junior high school. Afraid of strange or pitiful glances from others, she had been depressed and irritable for six or seven years since then. After joining TFRD’s Painting Class, Zheng Ling gradually opens up her mind. Now she has become an illustrator and completed her own picture book.

With efforts of TFRD, the patients rebuild their confidence by singing and painting, which inspires more patients to create their own colorful life. It is hoped this inspiring and touching book The Lesson on the Weekend will help more readers to recognize the essence of life, demonstrated by the rare disease patients, so as to overcome the difficulties and realize their dreams without hesitation and fear.

Translator: David Lee (Becker Muscular Dystrophy), Reviewer: Albert Kuo