Story 23 – Wei DeWei

Wei DeWei lives with his mother in Guangxi. Mother and son are in very close and good relationship. He was diagnosed with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.  It is a form of cerebral palsy that causes muscle stiffness and spasms in a person’s legs and, sometimes, arms. DeWei had bilateral flex knee and tiptoeing gait (knees always bent, and walking on tiptoes), bilateral knee fixed flexion deformity (inability to straighten knee), hamstring tightness, and rocker bottom deformity in his left foot (sole of feet to curve outwards). He was unable to stand without support and walking with aids was difficult. Moving in and out of position and going to toilet required a lot of assistance which hindered his full participation in mainstream school life.

DeWei’s mother was a single parent, her income could not afford the surgical expenses.  With the help of the Cornerstone Association and SRDC, he was able to have his surgeries in the Duchess of Kent Children’s Hospital in September, 2018 when he was 12 years old. The surgeries allowed DeWei to flex his knees and foot, improve his foot function, and reduce any pain he had in his feet.

6 months after the surgeries, DeWei could walk with aid both indoors and outdoors.  He was learning to climb up and down stairs with the help of the railings at the side.  He was then able to take care for his own personal hygiene and continue his daily exercise routines at home to ensure further progress.