Liao Zhi, 33, who lost her first daughter and her shins in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, now lives a happy life in Shanghai with her husband and second daughter, and a third on the way.
For many years, Liao, a former dance teacher in Hanwang town of Mianzhu in Southwest China's Sichuan province, has inspired others with her story of keeping her dance dream alive and struggling to stand with artificial limbs.
In the 8.0-magnitude earthquake, Liao was buried under rubble for 30 hours with her mother-in-law and daughter. When she realized they had all passed away, she said she wanted to die, too.
Her father's hoarse shouts woke her up, and she decided to survive because she wanted to see him again. In the hospital, when relatives cried for the loss of her shins, she did not — because she was glad to still be alive.
Pain, great pain, struck when Liao first wore the artificial limbs, and continued as she pursued a dream to dance, using a drum a director from Chongqing specially designed for her in June 2008. Her legs bled at the first practice.
She succeeded, and set an example for many handicapped people. She was invited to perform the dance times to encourage them and give them hope.
On April 23, 2013, Liao went to Lushan, Sichuan to help victims of an earthquake as a volunteer. She said she wanted to help others in the earthquake because she was a victim herself and got help from others.
In 2013, Liao met her current husband — a designer of artificial limbs, and about one year later they were married. Her husband has encouraged her to be confident with her artificial limbs.
In 10 years, Liao has published more than 250 articles on her blog at sina.com.cn, and most of the articles demonstrate her optimistic attitude and zest for life.
Now, Liao and her husband hold meetings for handicapped people, where she shares her experiences and encourages them to regain their confidence. Liao has plans to write books on marriage and childcare.
