Woman marries paralysed man she met online
He met the love of his life on the Internet. But unlike other tales of courtship, Mr Li Kangyu did not took her out on a date.
He never cooked her a meal or went dancing with her. Not that he didn't want to, he just couldn't.
Mr Li, 39, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis as a child and has been paralysed and bedridden since he was seven.
For 30 years, the Hebei province resident did not leave his house. But that changed after he met a Malaysian woman, Gan Suh Eng on QQ, an online instant messaging platform, three years ago.
The two dated online for two years before getting married in August last year.
Said Mr Li: "She has opened the windows of my soul."
A changed life
Their love story attracted media attention, which resulted in a drastic change in Mr Li's life.
He said: "A Shanghainese enterprise has shown interest in training me to become a motivational speaker."
"A book on my life story, to be penned by a writer, is also in the pipeline."
The couple stay in Mr Li's hometown, a village in Tangshan. They have visited Shanghai and Suzhou, where Mr Li was invited to give motivational talks.
Romance blooming
While some might find their love story hard to believe, their affection for each other is undeniable.
In a video filmed by Malaysian newspaper The Star, Madam Gan can be seen stroking her husband's head affectionately.
The 36-year-old from Selayang said she was smitten by Mr Li’s romantic and caring nature.
“Sometimes he will insist on helping me blow-dry my hair,” the former employee of a non-governmental organisation said.
A simple life, a happy life
The couple lead a simple life in the village, surviving mostly on Mr Li’s financial assistance from the government.
Family members on both sides, who originally objected to their marriage, have now accepted them.
Madam Gan said jokingly: “My mum now cares about Li more than she cares about me. She will ask to speak to him every time we talk on the phone, reminding him to take good care of himself and rest more.”
Looking ahead, Mr Li dreams of having their own house and raising a child.
He said: “We also want to start a charitable foundation to help the less fortunate. It looks like a far-fetched goal but I believe it will come to fruition one day.”
Source: The Star
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