Life with ALS: Grandma helps girl live full life

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02:25

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neuro-degenerative disease which affects more than 100 thousand people across China. In today's Our Story. let's meet a girl with ALS in Heibei Province. She's managed to overcome all the hardship and live like other children with the help of her grandma.

Just like other children of her age, Liu Xuannuo, spends most of her time in school. But her seemingly normal life would not be possible without the help of her grandma Zhang Xinrui. The teenage girl was diagnosed at the age of three with the motor neuron disease known as ALS.

ZHANG XINRUI GRANDMA OF LIU XUANNUO "When she was one year old, I took her downstairs to play. Our neighbor said to me, 'your granddaughter's walk seems strange.' We took her to the hospital. Her muscles already had started to weaken at that time."

With both parents busy working to support the family, her grandma took over the job of taking care of the girl. Her grandma's companionship gives Liu Xuannuo the chance to get out of bed and go to school like other children.

ZHANG XINRUI GRANDMA OF LIU XUANNUO "She is not disabled mentally. Why not let her live like an ordinary child? I'll be her leg. I'll take her everywhere. What other children have, I won't let her miss."

With her grandma's care, Liu Xuannuo has grown to be one of the top students in her school and has been awarded the honor of 'merit student' many times. But Grandma Zhang always wants the girl to see more.

LIU XUANNUO "She took me to see the Three Gorges Dam, the Huangguoshu waterfalls, and Shennongjia, the place where the 'wild man' lives in the tale. She wants me to see what's out there in the world, see how beautiful it is. My grandma has taken care of me since I was a little kid. I think she's like a pair of wings to me. I love her. I will live happily, and live well."