Ke Xiaoxuan is a young woman in her twenties. What sets her apart from others her age is that she has the height of an average eight-year-old. Despite this, she has never given up on herself; on the contrary, she has worked hard to strengthen her perseverance and diligence. Because of this, not only has she successfully finished school, but she has also graduated from Wesleyan University in the United States, and she is currently studying for an MBA. Let’s take a closer look at this extraordinary young woman.
After Xiaoxuan was born, her father, Ke Cheng’en, a professor at National Taiwan University, had to go back to the United States to continue his PhD. She was, therefore, taken care of by her grandmother. During her first months as a baby, her family noticed that Xiaoxuan was still unable to crawl after seven months. Later, it was confirmed that she had a disability called achondroplasia; more commonly known as“dwarfism”. Along with this disability, she also suffered from other complications.
In an attempt to cure her, Xiaoxuan’s parents gave up their PhD studies and made sure to get her into early treatments within the golden time frame. However, due to complications, Xiaoxuan developed serious scoliosis. (This is when the spine curves and twists to the sides)
Following their doctor’s advice, the little baby was transformed into a“mini–Iron Woman”. She was covered by a plaster frame from her shoulders to her backside, and she had to wear it all day – even when she was sleeping. From one and a half to six years old, Xiaoxuan became a veritable steel warrior. While other mothers were holding soft children, Xiaoxuan’s mother was holding a hard, strong shell. It’s difficult to imagine the emotions that she and her family went through during this time.
In addition to her physical disability, Xiaoxuan found the world of studies difficult to navigate in the beginning. No matter how hard she tried, she always found herself ranked towards the bottom of her peers. Her parents didn’t give up on her studies though and spent a lot of time reviewing her school work with her every night. They maintained the belief that one day she would achieve her educational goals.
As a female patient with achondroplasia, Xiaoxuan’s maximum height was expected to be 125 cm, but daily life caters to people 130 cm or taller; with anything lower being designed for use by children. This meant that acquiring and using daily necessities, such as food, clothing, housing and transportation would be difficult for Xiaoxuan. The solution to this was callus lengthening, which would help Xiaoxuan gain an extra, and crucial, ten centimetres in height.
The process of lengthening Xiaoxuan’s bones was an extremely painful procedure that she had no choice but to endure. She screamed until her throat was sore, and pulled at her father’s clothes until they were torn apart, but her parents understood that she had to push through the pain to make her life just a little easier.
While she was studying in the United States, she actively participated in the activities of the Children’s Support Society and helped orphans, even though she used crutches. Xiaoxuan’s English teacher was greatly moved by this, so he secretly helped sign Xiaoxuan up for the American Discovery Card event held in the United States. This event is held every year to select outstanding American high school students who are living in difficult circumstances, but who bravely face difficulties and are enthusiastic about helping others.
Xiaoxuan won this competition and became the first non-American gold medal winner since the award was first held. For Xiaoxuan, this was unbelievably encouraging. In her acceptance speech, she wrote:“I have been practising my arm strength for a long time, and I can pull myself onto the bus. Although I can’t reach the rings, I can hold onto handles on the seats. After the operation, I could barely reach the washbasin, but I couldn’t reach the bell, the public phone and the elevator button. While I know that elevator buttons will never be lowered down to me, I can raise my heart and stretch my limits as far as possible.”
