Di beggar wit polio, wey learn to read at 16 and become 'miracle doctor' wey dey save lives

Li Chuangye na 37-year-old doctor wey im story of overcoming adversity and im love for mountain-climbing go viral for China. Polio affect am, dem force am into begging as small pikin - and e only learn to read wen e reach 16 years old.

Na poor farmers born Li Chuangye for 1988 for Henan province. Wen e dey small, polio catch am as seven months old pikin, dis make am no fit waka without squatting on im heels.

Li dream say im go go school with backpack like oda pikin, but dem dey tease am well well. Some say na 'waste', say e na "only to chop im sabi and e no get any oda use."

"Dis one pain me well-well," Li tok.

Wen Li reach nine years old, im parents hear say surgery go fit help am waka, so dem borrow money to do am.

Li get high hope for di operation. "Wen I dey recover for ward, oda pikin dey cry, but I dey smile, becos I feel say I go fit waka like normal pesin," e tok.

But di surgery no work, and Li hope to waka again scata. Im come dey feel say im life no get meaning, im tell im mama say im go prefer to die.

Im mama tell am make e no give up. "We dey raise you so wen we don old, we go get pesin we go fit follow tok. Cat or dog no fit tok, but you fit," she tell am.

Her words hit am well-well. "I tink about how much my parents and family don sacrifice for me, and I break down to cry. I realise say I need to live, no be just for myself but for dem," Li tok.

Not long afta, one stranger from anoda place, come dia village, dey find disabled pikin wey go sell incense for temple. Di man promise say Li go send money home wey go equal to wetin im papa dey earn monthly den.

"My parents no gree at all, but I see am as chance to make money and ease my family burden," Li tok. Li agree to follow di man.

Begging on di street

But di promise of work, na big lie.

Dr Li tok say di stranger dey run beggar business, and for di next seven years, e force am to dey beg for street wit oda disabled pikin and adults.

For im first night wit im new 'boss', one of di oda children warn Li say make e work hard, or dem go beat am. Dis one turn out to be true.

Di next morning, dem leave Li for di pavement, without shirt, wit one bowl for coins and im leg twist around im back to make pipo pity am.

Li no understand why pipo dey drop money for im bowl, until passers-by ask am why e dey beg, wen e suppose dey school.

"For my hometown, begging dey shameful. I no realise say na wetin I dey do. Di realization crush me," Li tok.

Li dey earn hundred yuan a day - plenty money in di 1990s - but all di money dey go to im boss. "If I earn less dan di oda children, e go accuse me say I dey slack and sometimes e go beat me," e tok. "So e really pain me for dose years."

Ova di years, oda children run away or police send dem home, but Li stay, determined to help im family. Wen police offer help, e refuse, e insist say e dey wit relatives.

For seven years, winter and summer, Li travel around di kontri dey beg.

"E be like say I dey live for hell. I dey shame, dey avoid eye contact, my leg twisted for back, make pipo dey pity me. I dey pray for rain or darkness so I no go beg," e tell di BBC World Service Outlook programme.

Each New Year Eve, e go call home, dey assure im parents say everytin dey okay and make dem no worry. "But after di call, I go dey cry for my room. I no fit tell dem say I dey beg for di street," e tok.

Even now, 20 years later, di trauma still dey. "Begging leave deep psychological scars - I still dey dream about am, and wake up wit relief say na just dream."

New path through education

Everytin change wen Li pick one newspaper for street and see say na only im name im fit read. At 16, e tell imself say e go go back home and finally go school.

"I no fit read and write, na only through education I fit change my life," na wetin im tink.

Around dat time, govment don bring new policy, wey no allow make dem use disabled pikin to dey beg again. Li also hear say im family financial situation don beta small. E tell im boss say e wan visit im family, and im boss gree make e go.

Wen im meet im papa and mama, dem come find out how e dey live – and Li vex say im exploiter send small money dan wetin im promise.

Wit im parents support, Li enroll for second year for primary school, wit pikin wey dey 10 years younger dan am. On im first day, small pikin gada around im desk - but e no care.

"I no vex – I don suffer bifor. Now, as student, I just wan focus on learning," im tok.

Li become di most dedicated student, even though im body no dey allow am waka go restroom easily. "E go take plenty effort to go toilet, so I dey force myself make I no drink water for school," e tok.

Through determination, Li complete primary and secondary school for nine years. E go invite small pikin from di village make dem come play, den e go ask dem for help wit im homework.

Wen time reach to apply for college, im physical condition limit am small, but im fit apply for medical programme. E tink, "If I become doctor, maybe I fit research my own condition and fit help my family, save lives, and contribute to society."

Li enta medical school at di age of 25. Di facilities dey easy to access dia, but practical classes na im be di hardest part.

"While e dey easy for classmates to follow di teacher go visit patients or run between wards during internship, my mobility issues make am hard. Wetin odas fit learn for one day, e fit take me more time."

Li feel say e need to get stronger, so e decide to start to dey climb mountain. For im first hike, e take am five days and nights to reach di top of Mount Tai. Wen im hand and feet begin crack and bleed, e no give up but e dey climb each stone step on im butt.

Mountain climbing don become im passion, e become viral dis summer as Dr Li share im climbing videos.

Now Dr Li dey run small rural clinic for Xinjiang, wia e dey on call day and night. Im patients dey call am dia "miracle doctor".

"Caring for patients wit my own hands, and making my neighbours health beta— dat one dey satisfy me pass anytin," e tok.

E dey surprised say im own story go reach far across global Chinese communities, and e hope say e go help change pipo attitudes.

"Some pipo dey see disabled pesin as useless. For restaurants, dem don mistake me for beggar wen I dey squat, and dem go tell me say food no dey. I dey smile and leave—most pipo dey kind," e tok.

Life of confidence and purpose

Many pipo don dey ask Li why e no report di man wey exploit am. "I don decide make I leave di past for wia e belong," e tok. "Those seven years dey painful, but na part of my life."

Li journey don change im perspective. "Afta I enta school, I stop to dey care about wetin pipo go tok or dia judgement. I don realise say those tins no mean anytin. I wan focus my time and energy on studying and achieving my life purpose," e tok.

E tok say many disabled people "find am hard to move forward" becos dem dey fear wetin people go tok or dem go laugh dem. "But for me, dat no be di point. I dey waka for campus and cities either squatting or crawling, weda na for classes, workshops, or to help hundreds of disabled friends through my work. I tink say I dey look confident as I dey do am. I no care about wetin oda pipo dey see anymore."

To di public, e give dis wisdom: "Our lives be like mountain—we dey climb one, and anoda one dey wait for us. We dey always strive and make progress.

"I tink say pesin suppose always stay positive, dey optimistic, and no give up on dia dreams."

Dr Li Chuangye follow Outlook tok on di BBC World Service