Many people are oblivious to the fact that they are fortunate in life. Despite of having a roof over their head, food on their plates and clothes on their body, they still refuse to acknowledge these simple things which are already a privilege to other people. This also goes with other healthy people who remains to be uncontented of what they have and always seek for more. After reading the story of China’s famous “basketball girl”, you would realize how lucky you are in life.
The 20-year old Qian Hongyan is the epitome of hardwork and inspiration not only in China, but also all over the world. Qian is famous among the Chinese people as “basketbal girl” because of her resourcefulness that you would figure out later, but let’s go back years ago when Qian was just 4 years old.
When she was at the tender age of four, Qian was run over by a speeding truck in the busy streets of Zhuangshan, China. The tragedy injured her lower legs severely which lead to an amputation. However, since her impoverished family only lived in the rural area of China’s southwestern Yunnan province, they had no access of prosthetic legs whatsoever. And even if they do, it is highly unlikely that they will get one since prosthetic legs are too much expensive. Given their tough situation, the family had to make use of their current resources, so they improvised a device to help Qian walk.
Tragedy happens, life must go on and the family had no other options but to improvise. A basketball was cut in half to fit Qian’s small frame and was placed on her lower part to help her stabilize herself. Soon enough, she learned how to walk and lift her body while being supported by her hands and a pair of wood that served as her shoes. Because of the basketball, local dubbed her as the “basketball girl”. It was not until 2005 when Qian was already 10 year-old when her photo went viral on social media.
Her inspiring story drew the attention of people and various Chinese press which ultimately helped her in getting a pair of artificial limbs. China Rehabilitation Research Center, a Beijing-based institution that has been providing help for disabled people for 20 years now has noticed Qian’s condition and helped her received free artificial limbs. On 2007, after growing out on her first pair, Qian’s family got her a larger pair of limbs but that was her last treatment because they could no longer afford the expensive treatments.
Watch this video below
