A life-changing misfortune turns to triumph

For 43-year-old Ke Shuichang, life is a battle against destiny. It once delivered him a heavy blow, but he fought back and also helped others find the strength to tide over adversity.

Born in a small village in Huangshi in central China's Hubei Province, Ke established a company repairing electronic products in Shanghai's Pudong New Area in 2003.

In 2011, a traffic accident almost ruined his life. On the way to his wife's hometown in Hebei Province during the May Day holiday, their car was hit by a truck on the Shandong section of Beijing-Shanghai highway. He lost the use of his legs, and his wife and her parents in the car were also injured.

"It was like falling to hell from the peak of life," he recalled.

Confined to hospital for more than a year, he tried every means to recover.

"But I was told the best situation was that I would spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair, and I would no longer be able to work," he said.

"Words could hardly express my sorrow," he said. "I was in tears all day long." 

A nurse at the hospital even told him he should prepare for divorce.

One day, his wife was carrying a basin of water when she suddenly collapsed due to a problem with a lumbar intervertebral disc.

"I started self-reflection at that moment," said Ke. "I felt very sorry for being unable to take care of her as a husband and I made the decision to change my way of life."

Ke started reading various medical reports and learned about rehabilitation. He installed support devices such as hand rings on his bed and learned to move his body without the help of his wife or nursing staff. Gradually, he could sit up and use a wheelchair.

He eventually returned to work.

"However, I found everything was different, and many things which used to be very easy posed a challenge to me," he said.

"I had no feeling below my chest and I could not even tell whether I was hungry because my stomach had no feeling at all."

However, an idea suddenly struck him.

In 2012, smartphones were gaining popularity, and repairing them only needed the use of one hand, Ke said.

He started researching circuit diagrams and it did not take long for him to grasp the skill because he was already good at repairing electronic products.

"I discovered my value again with my brain and hands," he said.

Ti Gong

His company, which had been severely affected by his absence, was back in business again. 

"At that time, I thought of my disabled friends in hospital because their families were damaged by their disabilities. If I could return to society with these skills, they could do it as well. I decided to pass the techniques on to them to make them able to support themselves independently."

In 2013, Ke launched a charity program. First, he taught eight wheelchair users repair skills for free in Pudong.

They lived together in a rented apartment paid for by Ke.

"We were like brothers and I really cherished that period of time," he said. So far six students have stayed at Ke's company while the rest have returned to their hometowns to start their own businesses.

"I want to make them aware that disability does not mean the end of life. If we strive ahead, we can shine again. I am a living example and my experience is most convincing," he said.

Ke said he met many disabled friends who had stayed at home for more than 10 years.

"They lived like children and could not leave home, totally relying on their parents," he said. "If I can get rid of the shadow, they can as well. With such encouragement, they have no excuse to cower."

Over the years, Ke has helped 54 disabled people find work or start their own business and another 268 have grasped basic repair skills under his training.

"It is not easy to get a job for the disabled, but new professional skills can change our fate and I am a good example," said Ke. "In the past, they relied on their families to take care of them, but now they live independently and support themselves. They have returned to society."

Ke's company has 20 employees, 10 of them disabled. It provides services such as electronic products repair, program development and professional training.

Ke welcomes visits from disabled people and he shares his personal experience and entrepreneurial story to help and encourage them.

He and his students were frequent winners at national and city-level vocational skill competitions.

Because not all people are suitable for repair work, he trained some as teachers for the elderly on how to use smartphones. He launched this as a charity project four years ago.

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"It has become a social problem that many seniors don't know how to use smartphones, but technology should not be a barrier keeping them away from a modern convenient life," said Ke. "They don't know how to scan QR code in various application scenes related to their daily life, and the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more necessary for them to learn.

"Many of their children do not live with them, and some are too busy to teach their parents," Ke said.

In cooperation with government authorities, Ke's company has held more than 1,000 lectures, benefiting over 13,000 senior citizens.

A man in his 80s, who could only use an ordinary telephone in the past, bought a smartphone after learning about the project. After attending the lectures, he was able to have video chats with his daughter in the United States, said Ke.

Last year, Ke launched another charity campaign, providing free repair services for medical equipment such as forehead thermometers.

"These items were in urgent demand at that time, but most repair shops had shut down due to COVID-19," Ke said.

Many hospitals sent large numbers to Ke's company for repair and he and his colleagues worked day and night to fix the problems.

He even went to hospitals on his wheelchair to collect equipment for repair if medical workers were busy.

The accessibility for the disabled in Shanghai, although slightly lagging behind developed countries, is very good, said Ke. "I can go out independently and it is very convenient for the disabled to take the Metro." 

He said there were only minor problems at venues and public toilets that required improvements.

Before COVID-19, Ke traveled twice a year to destinations such as Japan, Thailand and the Philippines.

"I love traveling and even with a wheelchair I enjoy every trip, and barrier-free facilities in Japan are very good," he said.

In May, 2019 Ke was received by President Xi Jinping as a national self-improvement model at an awards ceremony.

"I was very excited when shaking hands with the president, and I felt a strong responsibility for society at the same time," said Ke. "I wanted to be a model role and make more contributions as a member of the Communist Party of China, and my wish is to help more disabled people live a happier life."

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Ke applied to join the CPC in 2017 and became an official member this year.

He has renovated a wooden carved boat with a phonetic system included, enabling people to learn the nation's revolutionary past.

The prototype of the boat is the famous Red Boat of Nanhu Lake. In 1921, delegates representing over 50 CPC members nationwide convened the first National Congress in late July in Shanghai, but moved to a boat on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing in neighboring Zhejiang Province due to harassment by local police.

The boat will be used to promote the history and culture of the CPC, particularly to youngsters.

"Ke is a model for the disabled and he selflessly helps others and encourages others with his own actions," said Huang Hui, an official with the Pudong New Area Disabled Persons' Federation.

"He not only encourages them with words, but equips them with skills to live independently," she said.

Wang Feng, a student of Ke's and an employee in his company, said Ke was "very diligent and hardworking."

Wang's job is teaching the elderly how to use smartphones.

"I am very grateful to Ke because it is very difficult for the disabled to find a job," Wang, a native of Zaozhuang in Shandong Province, said. "Without him, I would not have been staying in Shanghai since 2013."

Wang Yifeng, 59, learned how to repair electronic products with the help of Ke.

"Ke is the best person I have ever met," Wang said. "He helped us realize our value again, and we are like a family all the time."