Dr. Shirley Cheng, born in 1983, a blind and physically disabled award-winning author with twenty-seven book awards, proclaimer of Yahweh God's Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ, founder of www.Ultra-Ability.com Ministry, Bible teacher, motivational speaker, self-empowerment expert, poet; and author of nine books, contributor to twenty-five, and an editor of one, is a miracle survivor with an exceptionally tenacious spirit and a colorful personality. She was diagnosed with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at only eleven months old. She spent her early years in constant pain, confined to a wheelchair, and was hospitalized for many years while living between China and America until 1994. Unable to receive any form of education until her health was stabilized, Dr. Cheng started attending school at age eleven in a special education class in elementary school. Back then, she knew very little English, and her book knowledge was non-existent. However, she mastered grade level in all areas after approximately 180 days of attendance, and she immediately entered a regular sixth grade class in middle school.
Since sixth grade, Dr. Cheng has received 100 on every NYS essay test, and stayed at the top of the class ever since. She was the Student of the Year in sixth grade and the Student of the Month in seventh grade, as well as a three-time winner of the National Reflections Program in visual arts. She was also awarded for achieving the highest grade of ninety-seven in Earth science in her eighth grade class.
Dr. Cheng was a contributor to her high school newspaper, providing artwork in tenth grade. She received a standing ovation when she delivered a speech as a candidate for student body vice president in ninth grade.
When her eyesight began to deteriorate at the beginning of tenth grade, Dr. Cheng had to use two magnifying glasses, holding one on top of the other, on enlarged print to do her work throughout the year, including the artwork she provided for the school newspaper. In classes, she learned only by listening to her teachers, even with chemistry and math, as she was unable to see the blackboard; still she maintained excellent grades.
Unfortunately, Dr. Cheng completely lost her eyesight in April of tenth grade. She then received home-tutoring, and successfully completed all her schoolwork by using cassette tapes and tape recorders. She wrote and calculated long chemistry formulas and equations in her head without eyesight or Braille (she cannot use Braille because of her severe arthritis). Her high school overall average was ninety-seven (a 3.9 GPA without any advanced placement class factors). But Dr. Cheng could not accumulate enough credits to receive a high school diploma from her school due to her eyesight loss. In 2002, she received her high school equivalency diploma. She took the entire General Educational Development (GED) exam, including mathematical calculations, graphs, and an essay, in her head, and received a special recognition award for scoring an exceptionally high 3280 on the test. She was a student speaker at the GED graduation ceremony, and received a standing ovation for her speech.
Dr. Cheng has a passion for writing both prose and poetry. One of her short stories, Mary Miller, the Elusive Lady, received Honorable Mention and was published by the Poughkeepsie Journal in 1997, and her poem, The Colors of the Rainbow, earned merit status and was published in Celebrate! New York Young Poets Speak Out in 1999. In addition, Dr. Cheng has a voracious appetite for books, reading an average of six hundred pages (three books) daily, and has read over a total of two thousand books.
A lover of literary art, Dr. Cheng became an author at age twenty, completing three books within one year; Daring Quests of Mystics being her first book. Her other books are The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine: A Young Woman's Autobiography of 20-Year Victories over Victimization, Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells, Do You Love Jehovah? God Almighty's Infinite Love & Wisdom to Propel You to Greatness, Waking Spirit: Prose & Poems the Spirit Sings, Embrace Ultra-Ability! Wisdom, Insight & Motivation from the Blind Who Sees Far and Wide, The Adventures of a Blind and Disabled Award-Winning Author: Inspiration & Motivation to Empower You to Go for Your Own Gold Medals, Parental Rights in Children's Medical Care - Where Is Our Freedom to Say No? A Look at the Injustice of the American Medical System, and First-Step Guide to Publishing & Promotion. She wrote her books using a screen reader on her computer, typing with her two index fingers at the speed of about sixty-five words per minute. She successfully completed every self-publishing task on her own, from formatting her manuscripts to designing and maintaining her website www.ShirleyCheng.com.
Dr. Cheng has an immense passion for life and is full of life and vigor. Despite her severe physical disabilities, she has striven to overcome overwhelming obstacles through the power and strength Jehovah God Almighty has blessed her with, and she is living the life she loves, while she empowers, inspires, and motivates others to do the same.
Dr. Cheng has extraordinary goals with the aspiration of attending college at Harvard University, where she hopes to earn doctorates in microbiology, zoology, astronomy, physiology, and pathology, after a successful eye surgery.
Dr. Cheng is a true magical gift, a star with endless shine.
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