Lost Both Legs in Earthquake, She Insists on Her Dancing Career

Liao Zhi, worked as a dance teacher and thought her life was perfect. 

On May 12, 2008, her entire life changed.

Liao Zhi and her mother-in-law were at home playing with her 11-month old daughter when suddenly they felt violent shaking. All of a sudden their building began collapsing in half. It all happened so suddenly, there was nothing they could do. Her mother-in-law, her newborn baby, and she fell down the amount the bricks. 

After the earthquake, she only felt her daughter's small cold body. After 26 hours, Liao Zhi was finally rescued. She was the only survivor in that building.

Once she was rescued, she was put on a truck and taken over 10km until finding a hospital where she could be admitted to. Doctors immediately told her they’d have to amputate both her legs. Liao didn’t hesitate, so there in a tent with no anesthesia, she undertook surgery.

After surgery, she found out her husband had left her thinking she was buried among the rubble. He did not even look for her or their daughter. She divorced him.

Aside from dealing with the heartbreak and loss of her daughter, husband, marriage, career, and family; Liao had to learn to live differently. 

At first, when she was walking with artificial legs, she was sweating so much her pants were drenched with sweat from all the pain she was in. Since then, prosthetics have replaced both her legs.

Even though her amputated legs have greatly affected her career as a dance teacher, she did not give up. Every day she practiced, holding the door handle to do small movements leading to kicks and turns. Gradually she became better and better.

Liao took center stage at the 58th Miss World Chongqing finals!

After the big earthquake in Ya'An, Sichuan province in 2013, Liao Zhi rushed to the disaster area to help deliver food, clothes, generators, and tents.

"I'm not the strongest, it's not a big deal, but I'm certainly more familiar with what it's like to be alive in the rubble, to know the basics... "

Between some people, seemingly distant parallel lines, but will appear with a certain inflection point, wonderful intersection.

The man in the picture with Liao is Charles. 

He went to the United States with his parents when he was young. After graduating from college, he was admitted to Northwestern University with a full scholarship to study for a Master's Degree in Biomedical Engineering.

For a while during university, Charles lost his sense of direction. 

His turning point, like Liao’s, also occurred in the spring of 2008. Charles stumbled upon a project to develop a prototype of a prosthetic limb to be tested in poverty-stricken areas.

Charles traveled to Cambodia and Laos, where he saw the plight of many disabled people and how important prosthetics were to them. It gave him a great sense of accomplishment to provide people a sense of normal life and regain dignity and confidence with the help of their artificial limbs.

Charles is no longer confused, he feels fulfilled with his career choice; to be a prosthetist. 

In 2013, Charles received word that there were prosthetic technicians wanted in Shanghai. While working, a new customer came in for custom-made artificial limbs. That customer was Liao Zhi.

In 2014, they registered their marriage in Vancouver and  they held a small wedding in Shanghai.

At the wedding, Charles did something very special for Liao. As she sat in her wheelchair looking stunning in her wedding dress, Charles gently lifted up her dress and put on her new custom-made artificial legs.

“I hope my friends and family can see that this does not stop my love. Every morning she puts on her prosthetic legs and it’s no different than me putting on my glasses. I want everyone to accept her physical disability.” said Charles.

The couple now lives in a quiet neighborhood in Shanghai and have welcomed a son and daughter into their lives.

They do everything together from shopping, swimming, rock climbing, beach holidays.

It is human nature to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages and human nature cannot be changed. While Liao’s past is full of heartbreak and sadness, she has never stopped believing in creating a happy life for herself.

Wake up every day with a bright and confident attitude. 

Stay active and find what you love to enjoy life!

Source: Weibo@廖智/ lady.163.com

Editor: Crystal Huang

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