Qiao Ailing, a disabled woman from Wanquan, holds up a family with her crutches
Every day she wipes down her paralyzed husband, prepares three meals a day for her elderly father-in-law, tidies the house and does the housework... During the "October" long holiday, Qiao Ailing still had no leisure. These tasks are not easy even for ordinary people, yet this disabled woman from Beixinzhuang Village, Wanquan District, Zhangjiakou City, has kept at them for a full 10 years.
Qiao Ailing, now 58 years old, unfortunately fell ill with osteoma in 1990. From then on, crutches became the closest "companions" of her life. The strong-willed Qiao Ailing refused to give in, and with sheer stubbornness she kept the whole household in perfect order; neighbors and friends all gave her a thumbs-up. But who could have imagined that in 2006, her husband suffered cerebellar atrophy and was paralyzed in bed. "At the time I was in despair and even thought about suicide, but when I looked at my paralyzed husband, my elderly father-in-law and my children still in school, I could not set my mind at ease about any of them." Qiao Ailing made up her mind to hold up this family with her pair of crutches.
Qiao Ailing's legs cannot bend, so every time she wipes down her husband, she works up a sweat all over. Besides that, giving her husband water, feeding him meals and helping him with urination and defecation are tasks she never skips a single day. In addition to caring for her husband paralyzed in bed, Qiao Ailing also has to look after her elderly father-in-law. Every day before dawn, Qiao Ailing has to get up, tidy the house and prepare meals for her husband and father-in-law; only after they have finished eating can she hurriedly take a bite herself. Although life is hard, Qiao Ailing never complains of hardship or weariness.
"Whatever is delayed, the children must not be delayed." Qiao Ailing said that besides caring for her husband and father-in-law, what she has been least willing to relax over these years is her children's education. Today, both of her sons have completed their studies successfully. "My eldest son has already graduated with a master's degree and started working, and my younger son is attending Hebei Agricultural University; both are quite promising." Speaking of her two children, Qiao Ailing is full of pride.
"As long as I can still move, I will take good care of my husband and father-in-law, and life will surely get better and better." Regarding the future, Qiao Ailing is full of hope. (Hebei Daily reporter Liu Rongrong)