Guangxi student's bones brittle, but spirit strong

NANNING — Twelve years ago, Dong Qian, then a third grader, was found in her classroom lying on her stomach on a modified wheeled bed, her upper body supported by her elbows, struggling with a fractured leg in a cast. Hailing from Lingchuan township, which is situated in Lingchuan county of Guilin city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Dong suffers from congenital osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly known as brittle bone disease, a condition Chinese authorities classified as a rare in 2018. "I didn't falter when hardships struck my family over the years, because I aimed to demonstrate that my capabilities were equal to anyone else's, and I aspired for the day when my parents could rely on me," Dong said. "My mother was left alone to bear all the heavy burdens, and considering my health condition, I have to exert extra efforts to shield her from any future storms," Dong Qian said.