The parents couldn't accept their child anymore. They believed that the ability to be a normal child was necessary for their child's happiness. Sad as it is, this is the reality exposed to us by the Buddha's compassion. When so much importance is placed on our abilities, we feel our lives are worth living only when we have those abilities. Once the abilities are lost, we feel that life is no longer worth living.
Many people commit suicide when they believe that they have become worthless and useless.
We associate old age with slowing down of our mental and physical capabilities. Our eyesight becomes weaker and it's really hard to read small print. We can't walk as brisk as we could when we were younger, and our speech gets a bit rusty. Lack of energy prevents us to work as we did in our prime years. One of our member's mother is currently in a coma.