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trying to help a mother kill her own baby was a bigger issue. “I always judged them without bothering to know what had happened to them,” she said.After finding out what many of those mothers had been through, however, she came to realize life was too difficult and complex for her to judge. “I am always against abortions but I no longer judge women who have to do it. I understand why.”It is her empathy towards human emotion, deep understanding of the medical profession and great writing ability that have made her work increasingly popular. An English translation of her award-winning book Preuksa Mata is now for sale in bookshops under the title Suffering Mother.Preuksa Mata tells of the lives of mothers – their hopes, tragedies, sorrows and happiness in delivering62 Elite+and taking care of their children. The final chapter is even more personal, as Dr Chanwalee tells us about her own mother and shows us how she rose out of a poor family to become a medical student and award-winning author.The well dressed and good-looking doctor was born in small village in Saraphi District in Chiang Mai province. After her parents separated, Chanwalee was raised by her grand- parents. She grew up without riches but versed in the beauties of life. Thai classical and local traditional music was common in the home, as her grandfather was a respected musician. Her mother was a poet, writer, classical Thai dancer and radio presenter who loved to read poems in her programmes. Despite her poverty, art nourished Chanwalee’s soul.“Our home was rather poor,” she said. “But there were always sheets ofpapers with poems on them around the house. We usually wrote poems and displayed them in any space in the house ... a pole, a door.”Her communication and writing abilities have brought new opportuni- ties. Since 2012, she has been one of 28 elected committee members of the Medical Council of Thailand, where she works on promoting understanding between doctors and patients.As an editor of the magazine of the Medical Council of Thailand, she launched a literary award for writings in the medical profession, inviting professional writers – including National Artist Chamaiporn Saeng-krajang – to help judge the works.She has also co-hosted a popular medical programme called Choo Rak Choo Rode, focusing on sex education. It has aired on Channel