Photo of Fang Changwen and his son Longlong.
Father and Son
A poor 51-year-old father with dwarfism set out from Zhengning County, Gansu, pushing his 4-year-old son in a stroller to Xi’an, Shaanxi, in hopes of treating his son’s illness and helping his child with cerebral palsy stand and walk like a normal person. After more than 20 days and a trek of over 300 kilometers, his incredible journey became a miracle of love. By Tang Xueren, our reporter
“Thank you to all the kind-hearted people. My child can now walk normally.”
300 Kilometers on Foot, Through Hardship and Love
On November 18, Fang Changwen sounded unusually excited over the phone.
“My child can now walk normally, and even speaks more clearly than before.” The emotional Fang Changwen didn’t forget to express his gratitude once again to those who had helped him. “I’m truly thankful to all the kind-hearted people who helped me. Without their help, my child would have been bedridden for life.”
Over the phone, Fang Changwen said that compared to two months ago, his life has completely changed. His 4-year-old son Longlong, who has cerebral palsy, can now walk on his own, play around independently, and take care of his own toileting needs, so Fang no longer has to carry him all day. Previously, because Longlong couldn’t control his bladder or bowels, the few old baby clothes donated by neighbors were often soaked, and after being changed several times a day, Longlong often ended up with no proper clothes. As for Fang Changwen himself, he usually wore an old-style Zhongshan suit given to him by fellow villagers, which had faded and become white under sun and wind, with frayed cuffs and collar. Meals were often inconsistent—if there was no flour or rice, the family would often go without food, relying on handouts from neighbors.
Two months ago, when reporters met Fang Changwen at Xi’an Children’s Hospital, he looked somewhat tired due to the over 20-day trek. Next to him was a child’s stroller, a basin, a few colorful foam mats, a water bottle, and some clothes—this was all he had when he arrived in Xi’an.
But now, kind-hearted people have not only donated many new clothes for Longlong, but Fang has also replaced his old, color-faded clothes that he couldn’t even remember how long he’d worn. Moreover, the local civil affairs department bought flour and rice for his family, as well as a new coal stove, and delivered two tons of coal.
This winter, he will get through it in warmth
Now, Fang Changwen has a wish: to use the donation money from kind-hearted people to build two new rooms for his family. That way, even if he becomes too old to move in the future, his son will still have a safe little home. Of course, he also has a bigger dream. When seeking medical treatment for Longlong in Xi’an, many people told him that children with cerebral palsy like Longlong, through surgery and continuous rehabilitation training, can live just like normal people. So, back home, Fang Changwen, seeing his son becoming more and more agile, began to think about sending Longlong to a better rehabilitation center for therapy in the future, and then enrolling him in school.
“No matter how hard it is for me, it doesn’t matter. All my hopes are now on my son. As long as he can live like a normal person, I’ll be able to die in peace.” The thick Qingyang dialect was distinct and forceful. The rugged tone revealed how this honest man, who had endured so much hardship, had moved from confusion in life toward hope for a bright future.
300 Kilometers on Foot, Through Hardship and Love
Fang Changwen, 51, lives in Yonghe Town, Zhengning County, Gansu. He is not only a farmer but also a person with dwarfism. Two months ago, it was this man, standing just 1.35 meters tall, who demonstrated the greatness of fatherly love with extraordinary perseverance.
On July 30, Fang Changwen set off with his son in a child’s stroller. Last year, his wife fell ill and passed away, which cost the family a lot of money, leaving their already poor household in even worse straits. The family’s main source of income was a meager 200-yuan subsistence allowance, which was barely enough and left nothing extra. Before leaving, neighbors helped him gather over 200 yuan for travel expenses.
The distance from Zhengning County, Gansu, to Xi’an is 300 kilometers. To save money, Fang Changwen chose to walk.
When he got hungry, Fang Changwen would ask for food at roadside farmhouses or small shops. After eating, he would continue on his way. The July weather was scorching hot, and the road surface was burning. As he walked, sweat often blurred his vision.
After his wife passed away, only the father and son were left in the family. All his hopes in life rested on his son, but his son’s condition filled him with uncertainty. “Whenever I see other children healthy and lively, playing around, while my own son doesn’t understand anything, the heartache and sorrow are hard to put into words.” Fang Changwen didn’t know what perseverance was, but he held onto hope—that his child’s illness could be cured.
“Along the way, when I remembered some of the tough times, I would walk and cry.” Fang Changwen said that at one point he even considered giving up. Seeing the big trucks passing by on the road, he thought about suddenly pushing the stroller into the path of the wheels, so he would never have to face any more pain or injustice. “But then I looked at Longlong sitting in the stroller, turning to look at me from time to time, and I gave up on the idea.”
Over the course of 20-plus days, Fang Changwen said his legs would grow sore and the soles of his feet would turn white-hot. At night, he would sleep in the hayshed of a farmhouse or sometimes on the cement steps outside a shop, waking up to dampness beneath him. The owner of one small shop, seeing the pitiful state of Fang Changwen and his son, gave them a few foam boards and a large bottle of cola when they left. That large cola bottle became Fang Changwen’s water bottle for the rest of the journey. The foam boards served as moisture-proof padding.
For him, everything now is new
Several times, Fang Changwen and his son spent nights going hungry.
“When we reached places where there was no one around and couldn’t beg for food, we could only go hungry and sleep in culverts by the roadside.” Later, Fang Changwen learned from experience: after begging for a meal, he would also ask for some dry rations to take along.
Fang Changwen, 51, had never traveled far before. He didn’t know the way to Xi’an and kept asking for directions along the way. When he came to forks in the road, he had to stop and wait for passing vehicles, then wave to ask drivers for help. When he reached Xunyi County in Shaanxi, a kind driver stopped by the roadside to buy watermelon. After hearing his story, the driver gave him a ride all the way to near Xianyang Airport.
It was around August 20 when, after trekking over 300 kilometers and spending over 20 days on the road, Fang Changwen finally pushed his son into Xi’an.
After asking around, Fang Changwen found Xi’an Children’s Hospital. But he only had a little over 200 yuan on him and couldn’t afford to have his child’s condition checked. During the day, he would wander around the hospital, and at night, when there were fewer people, he would sneak into the hospital and sleep in the lobby with other parents who had come from out of town to seek treatment for their children. Fang Changwen said he stayed in the hospital lobby mainly because he had nowhere else to go, didn’t know who to ask for help, and had no idea which department could treat his child. In this way, Fang Changwen lingered around the hospital for nine days. Watching the stream of people coming in and out, Fang Changwen’s despair reached its peak.
“At that point, I was really desperate. If there was no other way, I would have had to turn back.” This might have been his only chance to travel out of town to get treatment for his child. Fortunately, as the saying goes, where there is no way out, there is always a way out — Fang Changwen met someone who would change his fate.
One evening, Shi Hangyu, the director of pediatric neurosurgery who was on duty, spotted Fang Changwen in a corner of the hospital lobby. After asking some questions, he learned about Fang’s story and experience. The next day, he immediately arranged for medical examinations. Upon diagnosis, Longlong was found to have spastic cerebral palsy and required selective posterior rhizotomy surgery. Only through surgery could the child potentially stand and walk, and his language abilities could also improve.
However, even the hospitalization fee of just over 2,000 yuan was a huge challenge for Fang Changwen, let alone the over 20,000 yuan needed for the surgery. So Shi Hangyu mobilized the medical staff in his department to donate more than 2,000 yuan to cover the hospitalization costs. Later, after Fang Changwen’s story was reported by the media, donations from kind-hearted people amounted to over 130,000 yuan.
On September 28, the hospital successfully performed the surgery on Longlong.
Over the phone, Fang Changwen said that his child is now recovering very well, and that everything now feels new to him.