Story 20 – Zhang Qian

Zhang Qian lives with his parents and elder brother in Henan Province. When Zhang Qian was 10 months old, it was challenging for him to walk and he had to use a wall as support. At the age of one, he could not turn while walking, as whenever he attempted to do so, he would fall down. His parents found this strange and after observation, they found that Zhang Qian could hardly raise his feet,  he couldn’t bend his knees or squat down either, so it affect his hygiene care. They took him to a local hospital for consultation, where he was diagnosed with Bilateral Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, a condition in which a baby is born with an unstable hip joint. This disorder can gradually jeopardize hip function if not properly managed. In Zhang Qian’s case, his left hip joint was fully dislocated, while his right hip was partly dislocated.

 

When Zhang Qian was 15 months old, he underwent traction therapy in a private hospital in a nearby county for two months. He could only lay in bed these two months. His face and legs became swollen due to this treatment. After two months, his right hip joint was in the correct location, but his left hip joint remained dislocated.

 

For the next five years, the family struggled financially to seek various treatments. They visited many hospitals, but the medical condition did not improve. One doctor from a hospital in Beijing even told them not to waste money on therapy.

 

Finally, with charitable aids, Zhang Qian received surgical intervention at the age of six. The surgery took 8.5 hours, and afterwards, his feet gradually pointed towards the front while walking. Zhang Qian could now make turns without falling down. However he still could not squat and his hip condition continued to deteriorate.

 

Visiting doctor in Henan had a follow-up consultation with Zhang Qian at his age of 9. He complained of pain in his hip joints, so the doctors suspected that both hips were dislocated. Another surgery was needed to solve this issue, but due to the complications of the surgery and technical reason, it could not be operated at his hometown, so he was advised to transfer to the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital at Sandy Bay ‘DKCH’ in Hong Kong.

 

With sponsorship from SRDC, Zhang Qian and his parents arrived in Hong Kong and had two consecutive surgeries successfully completed, one ultra-major surgery on his right hip and another major surgery on his left hip. The bone was cut and turned in the correct direction. He was then given a hip spica plaster cast, which he had to keep on for two months, while he received follow-up care at DKCH before returning to his home in Henan. With exercise and rest, he recovered well and he is now able to walk and squat.

 

Zhang Qian and his family were overwhelmed and thankful by the support and love that they received from all of the doctors, nurses, volunteers and staff members. During and before the period of his surgery, many kind-hearted people visited him every day to see how he was faring. His family was extremely grateful for all of the hope and love that was given to him, and for how comfortable and welcome Zhang Qian felt when they were in Hong Kong.