A mind to succeed

When his mother turned around, Yuan had already passed out and was covered in blood.

Five months of medical treatment in three hospitals eventually saw him recover, but at the cost of his right arm.

It was a big blow to his family, which was already struggling to scrape by.

Both of his parents had to do odd jobs to make a living. Some relatives even suggested that his parents give him up, considering the ongoing medical expenditure and difficulties his disability would bring.

"It was out of question for us, even if we had to borrow money or be indebted," says Yuan's mother Fang Yuan.

She didn't send Yuan to kindergarten after he was discharged but kept him home, teaching him to write with his left hand. She says the idea was to ease him into learning with family care and better prepare him for further education.

Although Fang, herself, had only made it to primary school, she clung on to the idea that knowledge can change one's destiny and hammered home its importance to Yuan.

His father was more blunt with him.

"He ensured that I understood the only way for me to succeed was with my brain, rather than brawn," Yuan says.

It is the influence of his family's spirit of persistence, and an attitude of never giving up in the face of a challenge, that pulls Yuan through difficulties that come his way.

Juvenile jokes were aimed at him when he entered primary school. He started receiving unwanted attention and some kids gave him unflattering nicknames.

"I had doubts about myself then, but my parents told me to dismiss unwanted noises and focus on learning," he says.

He buried his head in his books to block out the jibes and, as a result, his academic performance stood out.

Yuan consistently stayed among the top 10 in his class throughout primary, middle and high schools.