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The Strength To Carry On |
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Left foot up, left crutch forward, left heel down, left feet down. Right foot up, right crutch forward, right heel down, right feet down. This was how precise Liu Chang, who had both his legs amputated, had to make his every step in order to walk. Even with his mind focused on perfecting those steps, Liu took more than ten minutes to walk across a hallway of the Tai Po Hospital. For him, every minute is fear; the fear of collapsing onto the granite floor. Every minute is pain; every minute is agonizing. |
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“My limbs burn !” he groaned, as he took another painful stride. “There isn't a single part of my body that does not ache from this.” He stopped for a rest and perched his body on his two supporting crutches. Johnson, his physiotherapist, opened the valve of his prosthesis to ease the pressure on his amputated left limb. “Aaahhh, much better,” he sighed. With another aching push from his stronger right leg, he continued while looking down at his “feet”, trying hard to avoid falling over. Step by step, slowly and surely, he proceeded down the long, granite-paved hallway. “You have come a long way. Keep up the good effort !” said Johnson, who had been working with Liu for many months in both Chengdu and Hong Kong. |
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As Liu left the hospital corridor and ventured into the outdoor pedestrian walkway, a new challenge arose – a mild sloping ground with narrow non-slippery trenches. A nervous look appeared on Liu’s face. Traversing a less than perfect ground hardly takes any effort from me or any healthy individual. But to Liu, it requires courage. I could not help but think, if I were to be in his situation, whether I could be as determined and persistent as he is. What seems so simple to many, is in fact a daunting task to those who are disabled. From that moment on, I felt extremely fortunate to be who I am – an able person. |
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Liu knew that it is essential to master the skill of maneuvering himself on difficult terrains and rough surfaces. He knew that he would not survive back in Sichuan without such skill. With this in mind, Liu muscled up his remaining strength and propelled himself forward.
Ten steps later, Liu was visibly exhausted. His shoulders were hunched and his face was drenched in sweat. “ Well done ! Let's work on this again next time !” said Johnson. Despite half drowned in fatigue, Liu responded with a smile of accomplishment across his face as he looked back at the twenty feet or so of rough grounds he had traversed.
Liu had seemingly lost everything; his legs, his family, and his home town in the earthquake. Yet, he finds the courage to carry on. I believe it is the desire to continue experiencing life and to see what future has in store for him that drives him.
Survival , in his case, takes on a whole different meaning. |
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Sharing by Harold & Andrew Li |
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August 2009 |
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