Woman, 31, with cerebral palsy writes eight books with one finger

By Wang Zi
0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, August 16, 2020
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Wang Yi in the wheelchair [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Born with cerebral palsy, a woman who can't walk or even communicate normally, has written eight books with one moveable finger.

Wang Yi, now 31, was born in Yancheng, Jiangsu province in the winter of 1989. She developed cerebral palsy due to oxygen deprivation at birth caused by premature rupture of the membranes. Confined to a wheelchair as she began to grow up, eating and bathing are difficult tasks for her unaided.

However, Wang and her parents have stayed positive throughout.

In infancy , she could not sit like other children and a doctor declared she would not live to reach the age of 10. However, her parents never thought about giving up. In order to treat Wang, they went to Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing to seek medical treatment, which almost cost them all their savings.

Wang's parents taught her to "regard herself as a normal person even if she is deemed to be physically disabled." She practiced repeatedly to handle many daily activities such as eating and dressing. Even more, with parental help, she has learned how to cope with her physical disability and become an outstanding writer.

"It's hard to imagine how much hard work and sacrifice Wang Yi and her family have gone through, and we all should show respect for them," said Fan Xiaoqing, chairman of the Jiangsu Writers Association.

Wang completed nine years of compulsory education with the help of her parents and teachers before the age of 17. Besides, she also acquired much literary knowledge. With the encouragement of her teacher, she fulfilled her dream of writing. 

Literature has become the medium for her to communicate with the world. Sitting in a wheelchair, Wang chased her dream in her own style. Though she only has one moveable finger on her right hand with which to tap the keyboard, she has managed to write eight books with a total of more than a million words.

Now, Wang has participated in various writing competitions and has won honors continuously. She has become a member of the Chinese Writers Association and a signed writer of the Jiangsu Writers Association and achieved the third-level title of literary creation. 

"Many people think that it is very hard for me to type and write with only one finger. For me, writing is not a tool to make a living, but my necessary life mode. Only when I am involved in writing can I feel a complete and perfect self," she stressed.

"The sense of value and dignity comes from the efforts of the disabled themselves, as well as from social recognition, acceptance and equal treatment."

Wang hopes that every disabled person can live without discrimination, and she also hope that readers can experience the strength of life, the warmth of the family and the beauty of the times when they are reading her works.

Zhang Haidi, chairman of the China Disabled Persons' Federation, said in a letter to Wang Yi: "Just like the collection of poems she has written, 'life is like a sprout, it will feel the warmth of the sun and endure the torture of wind and rain as well, and the most remarkable thing is a tree that has survived many hardships and still stands. Even if there is only one fork left, it still dedicates itself to the world.' Wang Yi is such a tree."

Jidi Majia, vice chairman of the Chinese Writers Association declared: "Although Wang Yi has a disability, the spirit shown in her works is positive. Besides, Wang's lyrics show a unique understanding about the value of life and the value of life."

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