Resilience on Wheels

Among us, there are special companions who, due to various illnesses, have become long-term partners with wheelchairs. Although physical limitations pose many challenges to daily life, they still hold deep love and hope for life. Supported by the United Foundation for China’s Health (UFCH), these brave individuals face the trials of illness with unwavering determination and optimism, shining with the brilliance of life.

 

 

Mr. Zhang, from Shaanxi Province, has lived with osteogenesis imperfecta (commonly known as “glass bone disease”) since childhood. This rare genetic disorder renders his bones exceptionally fragile, where minor impacts can cause fractures. Fate confined him to a wheelchair, necessitating meticulous care for daily living. Yet, this tenacious artist crafted miracles with his dexterous hands – achieving financial independence through his exquisite paper-cutting skills and supporting his entire family with this uniquely ingenious art form, raising his daughter to adulthood. Amidst the fluttering red paper, Mr. Zhang cut out a brilliant life story with sheer resilience.

 

Osteogenesis imperfecta, a congenital bone development disorder, currently has no complete cure, but standardized drug therapy can effectively increase bone density and significantly reduce pathological fractures. For many years, UFCH has provided comprehensive and systematic medical assistance to Mr. Zhang and his daughter. From regular orthopedic follow-ups and anti-osteoporosis medication to professional dental care and surgery for multiple osteochondromas, these all-encompassing interventions have tangibly improved the patients’ quality of life, bringing a dawn of hope to this family.

 

 

Ms. Kang, from Hebei Province, spent decades confined to her bed due to meningomyelocele. Unwilling to accept this fate, the strong-willed woman sought various part-time jobs within her capabilities, using her modest strength to alleviate her family’s burdens. Soon, she acquired her first wheelchair. From then on, Ms. Kang’s world expanded beyond four walls and a window. With the help of kind friends, she finally fulfilled her dream of reaching Beijing, the metropolis she long yearned for. While the modern city offered conveniences, it also brought heavy financial pressure, particularly the fear of medical expenses that made her hesitant.

 

In May 2024, diagnosed with bilateral kidney stones and hydronephrosis, Ms. Kang turned to the UFCH in desperation. Funded by the Foundation, she successfully underwent surgery and regained her health. In July 2025, when facial paralysis struck, the Foundation stepped in once more. Currently, under the attentive care of medical professionals, Ms. Kang’s condition is steadily improving. This woman, who has endured much hardship, is writing her own life miracle with indomitable willpower.

 

 

Ms. Li from Shandong is a mother locked in a tenacious struggle with fate. Afflicted by hypophosphatemic rickets since childhood, severe leg deformities limit her mobility, making her wheelchair a constant companion. In 2016, this strong mother brought her daughter to Beijing for medical help, only to face a double blow – her daughter had inherited both her rickets and her husband’s spastic paraplegia.

 

Confronted with subsistence living on government aid and her daughter’s high medical costs, Ms. Li never gave up. Using her deft hands, she created beautiful crafts, selling them at a street stall to raise funds for her daughter’s treatment, often overlooking her own worsening health. Chronic illness caused her teeth to fall out starting at age 17, and her remaining teeth were in poor condition.

 

A turning point came in March 2025 when the UFCH extended a helping hand. After months of professional treatment, Ms. Li finally received full dental restoration. This heartwarming story reveals a mother’s selfless love intertwined with the power of charity.

 

 

The story of Cong Cong from Qinghai is deeply moving. This teenager from a low-income family was born with the rare congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA). Fate dealt her an even harsher blow when an accident caused a lumbar fracture, leading to severe disability. Her wheelchair became essential, and her deformed hands and feet meant complete dependence on others for care. Amidst this hardship, an accident where a screw from her lumbar fixation brace came loose pushed her to the brink of another health crisis.

 

In January 2025, with the compassionate aid of the UFCH Cong Cong traveled to Shanghai for specialized treatment. The surgical team successfully removed the internal fixation device, cleared the infection site and damaged skin, and perfectly repaired the defect with a flap graft surgery. Although her unique physical condition made post-operative recovery exceptionally slow, under the nurses’ meticulous care, Cong Cong’s wounds gradually healed. Now discharged and healthy, she is finally free from the long-standing torment of illness.

 

Life Shines Through Resilience. Every determined individual within the special needs community breaks through physical limitations with extraordinary perseverance, creating their own brilliant lives. As fellow travelers, the United Family Foundation persistently offers professional medical assistance, supporting the pursuit of dreams and helping more people facing adversity to move forward courageously.

 

Healing Brings Hope