Adversity only makes this couple love each other deeper and smile more beautifully.
□ Reporter Zhou Bin, Interns Cheng Bingbing, Dong Shanshan, Guo Yifan (text and photos)
Reading Prompt
An accident 8 years ago almost deprived the wife of her ability to take care of herself. Loss of sensation in the lower limbs, loss of urinary function, possible permanent paralysis - faced with this sudden disaster, the husband, an engineer, took care of his wife as meticulously as if she were a baby. Massage, bowel movement assistance, washing wet pants - after more than 2000 days and nights, the husband's efforts finally brought about a "miracle."
[Accident]
She survived, but might be paralyzed
At 63 years old, Chen Ruilian sits on a chair holding a walker. When the journalist said they wanted to take a photo of her, she stood up with a hand on the support bar, her spirit resembling that of a child. Her husband, Chen Yinhai, chuckled.
On the morning of April 21st, at a small courtyard full of green vegetables and fruits in Weishi County, Kaifeng, the reporter visited this happy elderly couple. No one would have guessed the disasters and pains they've endured over the past 8 years.
Chen Yinhai is an electrical engineer at the Weishi County Power Supply Bureau. On August 17th, 2003, he and his wife Chen Ruilian took a long-distance bus to attend a class reunion at Wuyang High School in Luohe. The bus suddenly jolted violently, and Chen Ruilian sitting in the back row was thrown up into the air, her head colliding heavily with the top of the compartment. When her body fell onto the seat, she felt as if she had been electrocuted, her whole body went numb, and then she lost all sensation in her lower body.
At the First People's Hospital of Luohe, after more than 20 hours of emergency treatment, her life was saved, but the news that followed left the entire Chen family stunned: Chen Ruilian had suffered from a lumbar compression fracture - a very difficult disease to treat and recover from, and there was a high possibility she would be paralyzed for life.
[Devotion]
He helped his wife defecate and massaged her every half hour
After the first surgery, Chen Ruilian stayed at the First People's Hospital of Luohe for nearly three months.
To prevent bedsores, Chen Yinhai often turned her over, starting by doing so every two hours; to prevent the muscles in her immobile legs from atrophying, Chen Yinhai gave her a massage every half hour. He also bought books to learn massage techniques himself, regularly checking his wife’s physical condition.
"Our father set a good example for my brother and me. Whenever he was out running errands at the hospital, it was like the air was let out of a balloon at home. Our father frequently cheered us all up," said Chen Yinhai's son, Chen Liming.
"One day I found that her feet had several blisters, but she didn't feel anything, and my heart broke." To make his wife suffer less, Chen Yinhai taught his children the massage techniques he had figured out himself, strictly instructing them to care for Chen Ruilian according to his methods.
After Chen Ruilian became ill, she lost normal excretory function, and Chen Yinhai personally helped his wife defecate. "It's not easy for my old man. He does all kinds of dirty and tiring work without ever complaining. He has been wronged..." Speaking of this matter, Chen Ruilian choked up. Chen Yinhai smiled silently beside her, looking at her with deep affection.
"My mother can be where she is now because of my father's care," said their daughter, Chen Huaming, smiling as she looked at her mother's ruddy face while talking to the reporter.
Three months after being hospitalized in Luohe, Chen Ruilian returned home.
"After coming home, seeing my old man who had lost nearly 40 pounds taking care of me, and no matter how late it was, my son and daughter always came back to see me, I felt terrible inside, feeling like I had dragged down the entire family." For this reason, Chen Ruilian often secretly shed tears. Over time, she, who originally suffered from keratitis, developed acute glaucoma. Chen Yinhai quickly arranged for his wife to undergo glaucoma surgery.
Chen Ruilian often wouldn't have a bowel movement for a week, making it almost impossible for metabolism to occur. For this reason, Chen Yinhai specially consulted experts at the hospital, eventually deciding to give his wife a colostomy surgery, inserting a tube in her abdomen to urinate through the tube at fixed times, but the problem of defecation still wasn't solved, and Chen Yinhai continued to regularly help his wife defecate.
Two years later, during a follow-up visit at the hospital, doctors diagnosed Chen Ruilian with bladder stones, and she had to undergo another surgery. The physical and mental pain had already overwhelmed Chen Ruilian. "A few days after returning home, I found a pair of scissors under my mother's pillow. Thinking about it now still scares me," the son said with a lump in his throat.
"From this incident onwards, my father instructed us to tell our mother more jokes and stories from our daily lives and work to cheer her up," the daughter laughed, saying, "This trick my father thought of really worked, and my mother's mood improved a lot."
[Miracle]
She took her first step, and now she can dress and eat by herself
Chen Yinhai said, "Other people's conditions improve every day, but my wife's condition improves year by year, with progress only once a year."
Chen Yinhai specially commissioned the hospital to invite Japanese experts to carefully study how to carry out rehabilitation functional training. He tirelessly trained his wife in rehabilitation, taking her out for relaxation during the day and massaging her at night, keeping her muscles in constant motion.
Finally, the efforts paid off. Three years ago, one day, Chen Ruilian told her husband that she wanted to try standing up and walking a few steps. With Chen Yinhai and their son supporting her arms, they slowly stood up, and when she took her first step, the eyes of these two men filled with tears.
One morning two years ago, Chen Yinhai noticed that his wife's bed was slightly damp, realizing that she could urinate, even though it was just a little bit, which made the entire family excited for half a day.
Afterwards, Chen Ruilian often wet her pants, and in the cold winter, Chen Yinhai often washed her pants more than twenty times a day. "I can't let him get sick from working so hard for me, so I cut the crotch open, making it easier, even if it's embarrassing," from then on, Chen Ruilian wore "open-crotch pants" like a child.
After nearly eight years of effort, Chen Ruilian can now basically handle her own bowel and bladder needs. The tube inserted in her abdomen to help with urination was removed a year ago.
Now, with the aid of a walker, Chen Ruilian exercises five to six hours a day, and she can dress and eat by herself. "Look, these clothes are all ones I put on myself," Chen Ruilian proudly showed the reporter her clothing.
When the attending surgeon who performed Chen Ruilian's surgery learned that she can now partially take care of herself, he was amazed and said, "That's impressive! In cases like this, if it weren't for the meticulous care of family members, it would absolutely be impossible, and it's truly a miracle!"
Conclusion of the interview, the reporter met several neighbors of Mr. and Mrs. Chen. Ms. Chen emotionally said, "We must commend Engineer Chen (that's what everyone calls Chen Yinhai). Everyone around here knows his story. This old man is too considerate, and he treats his wife so well. If it weren't for Engineer Chen, his wife definitely wouldn't be where she is today. Although their family suffered such misfortune, seeing the genuine affection between this couple enduring hardships together, it's truly enviable!"
Interview Notes
The entire interview process was not as melancholic and sorrowful as we had imagined, but instead, it allowed us to see an optimistic and wise elder and a happy, complete, and strong family.
Speaking of her husband, Chen Yinhai, Chen Ruilian's face always displayed a sense of contentment and happiness. "Before, he wouldn't do anything at home, but since I had my accident, he voluntarily let me command him and teach him how to cook, steam buns, stir-fry dishes, and make dumplings. At first, he didn't do well, but gradually, he started cooking to my taste. Now, whatever I want to eat, he will cook for me, which is quite difficult for someone who used to do nothing before." I could feel the happiness and satisfaction in her heart.
The entire interview process was smooth and natural, without any artificiality or showboating, only filled with sincere emotions and an optimistic attitude. Speaking about the incident involving his wife, Chen Yinhai said, "I think this is a test given to us by life, an evaluation of your willpower and quality. Do well on this test, and your life will be 'excellent'; otherwise, your grade will be 'failing'."