

The heartwarming story of a 36-year-old amputee doctor in Jianxin village outside of Chongqing who has visited his patients on crutches and treated them at their homes for the past 12 years has recently come to the attention of Chinese netizens, and they can’t help but be inspired.

Ji Zhengyong lost his right leg at the age of 14 due to a car accident. Unwilling to give in to fate, he decided to become a doctor to help others in need.



After the accident, Ji was forced to quit school for a year before making a return to his regular life, now walking and stumbling on crutches. With hours and hours of practice, Ji eventually became adept at using a single crutch to move around.

After graduating from high school, Ji was admitted to Yuzhou University in Chongqing, where he majored in Traditional Chinese Medicine. He became a doctor in his hometown when he graduated in 2003.



Rain or shine, day or night, he carries his medical kit, grips his crutch and pays visits to his patients. “At first, falling down was inevitable as I was not used to walking with a crutch at a fast pace,” Ji recalled. “The scars of the bruises from the falls show on my face. My patients need me, so no matter how serious my injuries are, I have to serve them at their home.”

Once Ji receives a house call, he tries to make it to the patient’s home as fast as he can. Over the past 12 years, he has managed to wear down 45 crutches.

“It was the first day of Spring Festival,” one of his patients remembers. “Typically, he shouldn’t go out for any house calls, but I was suffering from a serious fever at around midnight. Right after I called, Doctor Ji made it to my home in less than 10 minutes.”



Another patient named Qin Tiansu had to stay in bed after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage one year ago. Because of their extreme poverty, the family couldn’t afford to send him to a large hospital for treatment. After hearing about the situation, Doctor Ji visited Qin regularly to care for him and bring him medicine, never asking for any payment in return.

After six months of treatment, Qin can now walk again. “Doctor Ji is my savior,” Qin told reporters.



Over the past 12 years, Ji has treated a number of patients in his village for free. “Some of them are very poor and can’t get certain types of medicines,” Ji said. “My professional ethics won’t allow me to not help my patients when I see that they are suffering. After all, I have a monthly income of more than 3,000 yuan.”

Although Ji has earned tremendous respect from his fellow villagers, he’s never stopped improving his skills as a doctor. He has gone on to pass the medical licensing exam and further his education at Chongqing Medical University.

Villagers see Ji just like an angel in white and give a thumbs-up when his name comes up. In response to their praise, Ji says, “I’ve simply done what any doctor is supposed to do. The trust from my villagers is my biggest reward and serving them better is what I can pay them in return!”



In a similar case in September, the story of a 41-year-old Yunnan teacher who persevered with his career despite having lost both of his arms in an accident went viral on the Chinese web.

By Lucy Liu

[Images via Weibo]

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