"Basketball Girl" Got New Legs.

Today's collaboration with Cellar Image of the Day brings us this amazing story of Qian Hongyan:

The Chinese youngster's family was too poor to afford the sophisticated medical assistance that could have helped her to walk again when she lost her legs in a horrific accident in 2000 when she was just three years old.

But in an inspired move Qian's parents came up with the idea of sitting her on a basketball, which, with the aid of a couple of brushes that double as low-level crutches, enabled her to move herself by bouncing around.

She became highly mobile on her unconventional transporter and was able to travel independently between her home and the local school.

After years propelling herself along the ground, the youngster has been given the chance to walk again after she was taken under the wing of doctors who have fitted her with prosthetic legs.

Links: Story in The Scotsman

Remember to visit Cellar IotD for more amazing pictures!


Her first picture reminds me of Bob Wieland, who lost his legs in Vietnam and "walked" in a similar fashion across the U.S. He's a very famous public speaker.

Here's a video about him

http://www.nationwidespeakers.com/video/356
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Made me think of the guy in Shallow Hal who walked on his hands... Rene Kirby I think.

Pretty amazing that she is able to get around like that on the basketball. One of the articles I saw about her said she's worn out six basketballs thus far. Does she have enough leg left to move the prostheses? From her position on the ball it doesn't look that way.

I also remember seeing photos once of a boy with no legs who got around by scooting on a skateboard, pushing with his hands.

Ok. My turn to be non-PC:
What do you call a kid with no arms & no legs lying on the front porch?
Matt.
What do you call a kid with no arms & no legs in the water?
Bob.
What do you call a kid with no arms & no legs hanging on the wall?
Art.
What do you call a kid with no arms & no legs waterskiing?
Skip.
What do you call a kid with no arms & no legs under your car?
Jack.

Ok. I'll stop. But those are the jokes I'd be telling if I were in her shoes. (Uh oh. I'm in trouble now!)
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I have a question regarding those legs...she doesn't seem to have muscles to propel those prosthetic legs. How is she going to move around?

Perhaps with crutches to help?
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Yes, the legs just keep her at "normal" height, and she'll have to use the crutches. I think she doesn't have any leg muscles at all, so until medicine advances a bit further (which it will likely do, of course...) then she'll just have to make do with crutches.

But seeing as she was so incredibly proficient with a basketball and two brush handles, then I doubt she'll be slow on those new legs! :-)

--TwoDragons
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wow am I the only one thinking what in the hell were those parents thinking strapping their kid to a basketball. and now that I think of it how exactly did they strap that kid to the basketball anyhow? duct tape? wtf! poor kid wow....but yeah put some pants on her jeesh theres gotta be a wicked draft.
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The picture above shows the work in progress - they did "finish" the legs with a cosmetic outside once they were working! There are some "after" pictures at the end of the slideshow in the URL I posted above
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I wanna say that life can change in any second. We all feel so proudy and always look on our beauty, enjoyment, money and other facilities of life. Life can change any second.... accidents can happen with anyone at any time.... think this, what if we be in this situation as this little girl is. She need no sympathy but she need encouragement and we all have to learn with this little girl who easily give up with life. And i am proud on her parents who supported her and let her to be independent.
Bless u little girl. Wish u live a long happy life with self respect. Never give up this is the way to live a life with respect.
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I read all the comments above. Except few i m seeing many of them are making joke for this little girl and looking for the pant. And some advertising their websites.
Are you peoples idiot or have no sense or heartless? Surviving in life is not easy. 60% of peoples in the world living in poor conditions. You got something good in life because of your parents then you are joking others. Life changes so instantly. Respect a life, either it is urs or someone else, life never comes again and again. Sitting in air-conditioner rooms doesn;t let u what is a real life. You looking the girl pant or commentinng robot legs or so on.... you can;t see the happiness on this little girl face after standing on artificial legs. Even she know this is not her real legs but these legs giving her confidence that now she can walk again.
Shame on those all guys and girls who made fun of this little girl here on this blog.
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I Think This Is AN Amazing Story & Im So Happy She Got Legs To Lead A Normal Life!!

This Is Just One Thing In Our World That Has Had Happy Affect With No Other Meening That For Helping A Child In Need ...
I Hope.
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Well I've looked at this and there are a few of you that need to be in a accedent. Sometimes I can't believe how heartless some people are. I believe these
so called heartless people are more handicapped than the disabled, and I'm probable more able than these heartless B a s t e r d s. So go run a red light, or stop sign. or just do everyone a favor and jump off a cliff. From SHALLOW HAL Just call me Walt
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Im glad the girl was able to find a place that gave her the chance to walk again. Even if she may not be able to control the legs, people out of the kindness of their hearts helped another person with no gain in thought most likely. If the entire world was like this we could solve so many problems. For anyone who blamed the parents: they most likely could not afford the procedure to help her or they would have, how heartless are you to think that someone would not care to try to help their child. For anyone who cracked jokes about this or for any posting a link to their own websites: this is not about you, or about your "thoughtful" way of bringing in jokes. This is about this girl, who now has been given a new lease possibly on life, even with her mobility before it was probably very dangerous and difficult. Now she may have a much more successful way to maneuver. I hope that this message is read by many, because many in the world still need to see that others are not gifted as we are to have laptops and money to go to college and loans for so many things. Live the life of the less fortunate, if you feel you can still joke, rant, or post a website, please disregard your own life as you surely have turned it into a husk of humanity, and i feel sorry for you.
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