By Jun Ashley | Project Manager
Dear Donors,
We hope you are enjoying the summer. Last week, we received updates from one of our volunteers in China that Min, who A Life A Time has been supporting since 2011, graduated from Junior High and was elected to represent her class by giving the graduation speech. We are very proud of her achievement and wanted to use this opportunity to share her story.
Min was born in August 1999 in Yunan province in China. In April 2008, Min’s house caught on fire. Min’s father was able to get her out of the house as they were close to the door, and her mother escaped after them. The fire quickly blocked the door and Min’s youngest brother, Ze, who was only one year old, was trapped inside where he had been napping.
People tried to use water to put out the fire, but no one knew at the time that the fire was being fueled by gas. Min, who was not yet nine, said her brother was still inside and ran into the house to try to save him. The fire trapped both Min and Ze inside, with Min using her body to try to protect her brother. Luckily, Min and Ze were saved by their father before the house burned down completely.
Both Min and Ze were severely burned. Both of Min’s legs had to be amputated. All of her fingers except her left thumb were amputated too. For over two years, Min and her family struggled financially and emotionally. People questioned the financial burden Min and Ze would be for their family, which lost everything in the fire and was in debt from all the medical expenses. Min also questioned herself because how she now looked.
Then in January 2011, with assistance from HandReach.org, Min and Ze were both accepted by Shriners Hospitals for Children to be treated in America. All medical treatment would be free. In May 2011 and March 2015, Min, Ze and their father visited Shriners Hospitals. Each visit lasted for months and included surgeries to treat their burn areas, installation and fittings of artificial limbs, and learning and practicing how to walk again.
The treatments were successful and Min became more accepting of herself and eager to get back to school,. having been a good student before the accident. Following the accident she was refused by many schools due to her disabilities, but Min had continued to study at home by herself with her father’s help.
In September 2014, both Min and Ze were finally accepted by Kunming Yanhuan School. Within two months, she passed grades 3, 4 and 5 and finished her grade 6 in second place by end of the semester. Min particularly enjoys drawing and writing, and continued to practice both even though she has only one thumb remaining. Thanks to her great patience and perseverance , she now can draw and write with both hands.
“Even as a special person, you should not let your difference stop you being who you are or living your own life.” Someone has told Min this and she has used this saying to stay positive and motivate herself. We are very proud to see how strong Min has become and hope more people with disabilities will use her as inspiration to overcome their challenges and regain their confidence.
By Jun Ashley | Project Manager
By Jun Ashley | Project Manager
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