Janice, 40, has had severe vascular tumors since she was born, which have spread to her spleen, liver, lumbar spine, and skull base. "There are tumors in every part of the body at any time, but I don't know (beforehand). I know where it has spread to when I feel pain." 

 

"My right foot below the spleen was all tumorous. I had to amputate that part of my leg because it was an orange-sized tumor." In 2005, Janice had her right foot removed. Five years later, the hemangioma spread to her spleen. "My spleen grew three times larger. I couldn't eat and I kept vomiting..." Eventually, her entire spleen was lost.

 

Janice, who often stares at people when talking, actually needs to concentrate very hard because of moderate hearing loss. "Normal people can hear sounds below 20 decibels, but I hear them at 50 to 60, or even 70 decibels. This causes me to speak incorrectly and I cannot pronounce certain words."

 

Treatment is like execution, returning to school is ostracized

"Many people's happiest time was their childhood, but it was the unhappiest time for me. I screamed all the time, just a loud scream." Wenfeng lost her mother at the age of 5, and her father suffered from a serious eye disease and was almost blind. She has been taken care of by her brothers and sisters since childhood and has been frequently hospitalized for treatment. "The physical therapist straightened my leg, and it was as painful as execution."

 

Janice admitted that she spent more time in hospital than at home or in school, and every time she returned to school, she felt even more depressed. "I don't have much time to go back to school. They don't know me very well and don't know how to get along with disabled people. They will laugh at me and criticize me. I feel left out and ignored." In addition, she couldn't keep up with the teaching progress, which made Janice even less willing to go to school. She gradually became inferior. "I started to hide myself. I was so cowardly. I didn't say anything all day long. I could only nod and turn my head."

 

Slow at work but I found yourself

Childhood faded away with the years. The 19-year-old Janice gradually found her confidence in the "University of the society". "I can't hide myself anymore. I keep learning and slowly find myself in my work." "It takes me 12 hours to carry documents and tools, while a healthy person would take 8 hours." She is thankful to have colleagues around her who understand her. "My colleagues are very caring. They always ask if I need help and tell me if I feel uncomfortable. It's so heartwarming!"

 

In 2005, Janice faced a major shock in her life – her right foot was amputated. “I couldn’t even stand up with the prosthesis on. I sat on the ground and cried for a long time. Thinking back to the prosthetic orthopedic surgeon who said I was the one wearing the prosthetic leg, not the prosthetic leg wearing me." After a year of hard work, I finally succeeded in walking with prosthetic limbs. Unexpectedly, this was just the starting point.


Try running for the first time and feel the thrill of speed

"The prosthetic orthotist asked me if I ever thought about running? I said no, I couldn't even walk well, how could I run? I couldn't imagine I could run." With the help of the prosthetist, Janice became Hong Kong's first "blade person". "I tried running on the treadmill with blade feet, and it turned out that I was a little faster than a normal person. It was very satisfying!"

 

Finally able to "keep her feet on the ground", Janice also tried to challenge different sports, such as swimming, rock climbing, water walking, cycling, etc. "My thigh amputation requires seven times more energy than normal people to complete it. If I can surpass myself, it is a great encouragement and reminder!"

Challenge the marathon with help from an angel

Challenging yourself requires not only courage and determination, but also the help of "angels". "There are hiking coaches for hiking, cycling coaches for cycling, and running companions for running. Every sport I can do requires modification and coordination, so that I can complete it."

 

Janice took the 10km race in Malaysia as an example. Most runners can finish it in two hours, "but I used all my strength and tried not to stop, and it took more than two hours. For example, when I reached 5km in my first year, my legs started to feel weak, and my running companion gave me food to replenish my energy. When I reached 7km, I had a tumor in my waist and it hurt, and I was still 3km away from the finish line." Fortunately, her running companion kept correcting her running posture, and the atmosphere near the finish line helped her cross the finish line successfully.

Paralyzed at any time, enjoy every day

"Every exercise is very tiring for me!" Janice admitted that the position of the blade-connected foot would cause blisters and even pus due to running. Wearing prosthetic limbs for a long time is also prone to ulcers, but she never gives up. "When a group of people support you, do you want to give up? 'Why should I give up when people support me so much?' The process is very hard, but the feeling of success is greater than the hardship."

 

The tumor in her body continued to spread. If the tumor located at the waist and skull base pressed on the nerves, Janice would be paralyzed at any time. However, she was optimistic and knew her fate. "Every day is a blessing! I have lived past 20 years old and my health is obviously better than before. I just know that I can still play sports and live a good life. I will seize and enjoy every day."


It's not that I don't want to do it, it's that I can't do it

The illness did not wear down Janice's fighting spirit, but the ruthless words of others stung her heart.

 

One year, the family went up the mountain to pay respect to their mother. Janice had to be carried up the mountain by her brother because she was unable to move. "You are such a grown-up, please be kind enough to walk on your own." Janice cried on her brother's back, soaking his back. "It's not that I don't want to walk, it's that I can't walk. I feel so sad, but passers-by don't understand."

 

After the amputation, Janice wore shorts to make it easier to put on or take off the prosthesis. Unexpectedly, her neighbor said, "You should look better in long pants, not shorts, as it will scare the children." Someone also almost "hit a pillar" by looking back at Janice's prosthetic leg.

Prosthetic limbs are not popular, so they are promoted through competitions

Facing sarcasm or strange looks, Janice has her own way of interpreting it: "I have been a disabled person since I was a child, so it is easy for me to digest it. The embarrassment of acquired disability is even greater." She also understood why amputees would rather wear long pants to cover up their limbs than face the world's gaze.

 

Janice believes that the lack of popularity of prosthetic limbs has led to more misunderstanding in society. "Prosthetic limbs are a kind of assistive tool, just like a wheelchair, hand fork or walker. Why are prosthetic limbs not popular?" Therefore, she hopes to let the public know about the capabilities of prosthetic limbs and amputees by participating in marathons, triathlons and other events.

 
Passion for ceramics, passing on the craft to disabled children

"I love ceramics. It's amazing to see a piece of clay turned into a vessel and see if our life is like this." the works made by Janice's skillful hands have been popular in Japan, which made her feel very successful. She even made a ceramic prosthesis by herself and gave it to a prosthetist orthotist as a gift "Ceramics has trained me to be patient and focused. If you focus on doing something, you will be able to do it well."

She even compared ceramics to life, "You are not born into a happy environment or body. When I experienced illness and multiple surgeries, and saw the care from my family and the love of my friends during the recovery process, my positive energy increased." 

 

Janice not only teaches her ceramic skills to disabled children, but also continues to do volunteer work. Finally, she won the "Outstanding Volunteer Award" in 2014. "Many people apply for this award, which emphasizes that you do volunteer work with all your heart. I use my experiences and feelings to visit and share my points to face difficulties, and help others in low places to have hope. I am very happy and honored to receive this award."


The blade foot has great resilience

The knee joint on Wenfeng's right foot can cooperate with sports functions. When running, she only needs to take off the prosthesis she uses every day and replace it with a C-shaped "blade foot". The blade foot is equipped with a sole with a small landing point, strong rebound force, and is worth XXX. And the knee joint and prosthesis used by Wenfeng cost more than 30,000 dollars in total. 

 

I grew up in a hospital and have experienced different treatments and felt the pain involved. I hope every friend who is currently undergoing treatment and overcoming difficulties will not give up on themselves and face difficulties positively. We will always overcome the difficulties. I hope everyone will have a wonderful and beautiful life.
 

Guardian Angel: It is my honor to run with you

Eddie is Janice's escort when she runs. He said that if it weren't for Janice, he wouldn't have the heart to run a marathon. "It's so hard, there are so many people, and it's so early... But if I have the opportunity to run with her, I think it's a great support!"

 

Eddie, who has accompanied Janice to complete the marathon twice, is like a "guardian angel" on the track. “There’s a lot of people in the race, and when other runners can’t see her or want to pass her, would pay attention to the front and back and not let the runners get that close.”

 

"I want to thank Janice for giving me the opportunity to complete the race with her. It is my honor!"

 

 

Reported and written by：梁劍紅、江依霖

Editors：梁劍紅、王煜棋

Photography：Nichigo Mak

Video production：Lifewire & Lok Production