Published on Oct 17, 2004

When you wake up to find yourself entirely different, missing some part of your body, impaired physically, there are two choices: to lose heart or to rise to the challenge.

Gang Hezhe, a 36-year-old armless Chinese calligrapher, had to face this problem, and he chose the latter. His disability made him vow to support himself and become an achiever.

The award-wining calligrapher and a handicapped Thai social worker were invited on Friday by Amantee, the House of Oriental and Tibetan Antiques to tell of their struggles against disability.

Gang was born into the Naxi ethnic community of China's Yunnan province. He lost his arms at the age of 11 when playing on a high-voltage power pole.

"The accident which changed my life depressed me, but I promised myself to rise above it and not to be a burden on others," he said.

Gang started by developing two interests, running and writing with his mouth. He ran eight kilometres a day and since 1984 has won every district, provincial and national competition he has entered, against both handicapped and normal athletes.

One night in 1982, after watching a TV programme showing an armless boy using his mouth to write and draw, Gang started trying himself.

First his brush refused to cooperate, and his tongue hurt from the pressure. He bit down for so long that his facial muscles became stiff. Sometimes he couldn't even open his mouth.

"I had to practice writing four hours a day. Turning out a piece of calligraphy takes only a few minutes, but that achievement is the result of hard work and training over 24 years," Gang said.

He often writes motivational words or sentences on his works. Most of them are inspired by the hardship he has experienced in his life.

"What I sell is not only art but my spirit," Gang said.

In 1992 he achieved fame with the first prize at a World Handicapped Writing and Drawing Competition. He produced calligraphy for the UK's Prince Charles in 1994.

From an unknown calligrapher whose work sold on roadsides for only Bt1 apiece, he has become a world celebrity commanding Bt2,500 to Bt50,000 for one work, and he has eight calligraphy galleries in China.

"Your self-esteem enables you to do anything by yourself: you're the arbiter of your achievement and failure," Gang says.

Supattraporn Tanatikom chose to face up to her altered state after a car accident in 1999 left her paralysed from the neck down.

"If you wake up one morning to find that you've changed into someone who can't walk, don't worry: the thing is to face the new world and get accustomed to it as soon as you can," she said.

She believes that deformity cannot take away ability, and she does not want people to think the disabled are incapable of doing anything.

Supattraporn had to give up her career as an air stewardess. After two years in hospital she started a new life, summoning up those capabilities which she could still use, writing and language ability.

She started writing an autobiography on a special mouth computer, only a few lines a day at first but more as time went by.

Nowadays she works for organisations for the disabled as an author, interpreter, translator and guest speaker. She weaves Japanese fabrics and is taking a master's degree in social studies.

"I'm proud of being a role model for other invalids whose condition is better than mine. I can give them moral support to face their new world," Supattraporn said.

Chatrarat Kaewmorakot

THE NATION