Doctor honored for helping patients stand tall

A doctor in Chengdu, Sichuan province, has been honored for his work over the past decade helping almost 1,000 scoliosis patients to walk tall again.

Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a patient's spine has a sideways curve. It can damage the heart and lungs if the curvature exceeds 100 degrees.

Liang Yijian, head of the orthopedics department at the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu, developed a treatment method in 2008 that involves inserting four metal rods into a patent's torso that form a brace to help straighten the back.

He was recently honored for his contribution to society at China Central Television's annual "Touching China" awards.

The 53-year-old, who obtained his doctorate from the State University of New York in the United States, has even used his technique to help patients with a 360-degree curvature of the spine.

He described the operations as akin to driving along "the dangerous Sichuan-Tibet highway".

"But if nobody takes the risk, there will be no cure or hope for the country's 5 million patients with scoliosis," he said.

In addition to treating those who visit his department, Liang also makes the effort to take his methods to patients living in remote areas who lack the wherewithal to search him out.

In February 2008, he visited Yanyuan county, in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, and found Wu Cailin, who stood less than 1.3 meters tall because he spine was curved by nearly 120 degrees. Wu's chest almost touched his thighs and he could only look down while walking.

Liang brought Wu to Chengdu to treat him, operating on him for 13 hours three months later. Today, Wu is 1.78 meters tall and owns a rural resort in his home county.

Following media reports on Wu's life-changing story, more patients from rural areas went to Chengdu to seek out Liang.

Born into a family that relied solely on his coal miner father's salary, Liang has great sympathy for people in need. After meeting Wu, he began to raise money for the patients he treats.

When drinking at local teahouses, he will sometimes show customers pictures of his patients or put photos on the walls to raise funds.

To help Liu Renfu, a resident of Muli county in Liangshan with a spinal curvature of 153 degrees, Liang raised 10,000 yuan ($1,455).

As word of the doctor's good deeds have spread, a number of donors have come forward to help, donating several million yuan a year. One foundation donated more than 5 million yuan, enough to fund treatment for 171 patients in Liang's hospital.

"I didn't want attention when I went out to help them. All I hoped for was that I could bring them hope and pass the love around," Liang said.