Xiang Chenxi hosts a live broadcast in Wuxi, east China's Jiangsu Province, June 14, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Bo)
NANJING, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Dressed in a princess-like attire, Xiang Chenxi set up the equipment and started her livestreaming session as scheduled.
She greeted her fans in her sweet, gentle voice just like any other livestream anchor, the only difference being that she is confined to a wheelchair with a breathing tube implanted in her throat.
"Hi there! This is fairy Chenxi who loves handicrafts and life," said the 30-year-old livestream anchor, beaming a bright smile. Behind her were stacks of clay figurines of various sizes, all made by herself. Xiang has been teaching people how to make such figurines through her livestreaming shows.
The young woman from Wuxi City in east China's Jiangsu Province has been plagued by severe illness for over two decades. She was diagnosed with a rare neurodegenerative disease similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of eight after it was discovered that she often stumbled while walking.
As Xiang grew older, she started to experience declining mobility. Her muscles, including those that regulate her breathing, gradually became weaker.
"When I was a child, walking up and down the stairs was particularly hard for me and I couldn't do any physical exercise. I couldn't even walk while holding a glass of water," Xiang said, adding that the feeling of powerlessness devoured her bit by bit, and in 2018, she lost the ability to walk eventually.
"But I didn't feel sorry for myself all the time. Perhaps, I'm just a little fairy who has come down from heaven to the earthly world to endure some difficulties," Xiang added.
She has never been knocked down by the ordeal and remains unfazed in the face of adversity. Over the past 10 years, she wrote online novels and provided customer service for an e-commerce platform to help ease her family's financial burden.
She saved some money and bought herself an electric wheelchair. She can now leave the house on her own and enjoy the scenery of nature, which has boosted her zest for life.
In 2016, inspired by a hearing-impaired girl who livestreamed glimpses of her life, Xiang decided to share online her own story of combating challenges to encourage those severely ill to persevere.
It was at that time when she began to make clay figurines while interacting with her audience. Many viewers praised her artisanship and expressed their willingness to buy figurines and learn the skill.
"I hope I can share my craft with them, especially the handicapped," Xiang said, noting that she now has more than 500,000 followers on short video platforms and people around her no longer look at her with sympathy, but with respect and recognition.
In March 2019, Xiang launched the "Chenxi Clay Academy," offering online figurine-making courses that have attracted more than 500 students, including dozens with developmental disabilities.
A year later, however, Xiang's condition deteriorated to the point where she was on the verge of death owing to pulmonary arterial hypertension. She even recorded a video expressing her final wish to donate her body.
The courageous woman miraculously survived after two weeks of treatment, but she has to live on ventilator support for the rest of her life.
Regardless of how difficult life may be, we must maintain strong willpower," Xiang said. "I am fortunate to have so many online friends who have provided me with a great deal of support."
"Your figurines illustrate your amazing life, which makes me believe in the existence of miracles," commented a netizen.
A mysterious male fan once placed a high bid of 1,600 yuan (about 232 U.S. dollars) for Xiang's figurine during an online auction, which drew Xiang's attention. As their interactions increased, the two youngsters took a shine to each other.
They got engaged in August this year, and Xiang intends to seek active medical treatment from experts in Beijing.
"Life is beautiful, and as long as you live, there are infinite possibilities for you," Xiang said. ■
