'Girl on the wheelchair' embraces new life after admitted to university

Xu Ruiyang is seen at Sichuan International Study University in Chongqing on the orientation day. [Photo/Sichuan International Study University]
It is hard to imagine how a person is to spend the entire life if only the hands and head are able to move.

Xu Ruiyang, an 18-year-old student from Kunming, Southwest China's Yunnan province, said that she wants to live with dignity.

Xu has been suffering from spinal muscular atrophy since she was 2 years old. It is a kind of neuromuscular disorders that result in the loss of motor neurons and progressive muscle wasting. At that time, the doctor told the family that most children with SMA will only live a few years.

The family did not give up fighting with the disease, or even just complain about the injustice of life. In order to help Xu Ruiyang live with dignity, Xu's parents had to train their daughter's living and learning skills strictly, including using chopsticks or spoon, handwriting and reading. Opening a book or raising hands, some very simple actions for normal people, however are big challenge for Xu Ruiyang. She needs to use her head or mouth to cooperate with hands to finish these actions.