In June this year, 57-year-old Mr. Ni fell from a great height and was repeatedly placed on critical‑condition alert. Doctors said that simply saving his life would be a miracle, and the chances of him ever standing up again were almost nil. Yet Mr. Ni and his family refused to give up. After more than five months of relentless treatment, a miracle unfolded: he not only stood up but even managed to walk.

　　The elderly man, surnamed Ni Linhao, still needs his family’s assistance to walk. Yet all the medical staff and fellow patients at Nanjing Zijin Hospital know that for Old Ni to even stand up is almost a miracle—let alone walk. In June this year, he accidentally fell from a rooftop more than five meters high, sustaining multiple fractures throughout his body.

　　Ni Linhao’s wife, Wang Yifang, said, “At the time, the doctors who were working to save him told me that this patient had only a 1% chance of standing—meaning he would be paralyzed. After spending more than a month in the hospital’s intensive care unit, Mr. Ni was transferred to Nanjing for rehabilitation treatment.”

　　Qi Yuliang, deputy director of the Rehabilitation Center at Nanjing Zijin Hospital, explained: “Old Ni’s burst compression fracture of the lumbar spine directly resulted in spinal cord and nerve damage. Upon admission, we conducted a thorough assessment; based on his muscle strength and sensory function, his scores were between 0 and 1, meaning he was absolutely unable to engage in sitting or standing exercises, let alone walking. His family felt that even a one-percent chance was worth pursuing, so they embarked together on the road to rehabilitation.”

　　Every day, Old Ni makes two or three round trips between the ward and the rehabilitation room. It sounds simple enough, but with his wheelchair, he weighs over 200 jin—more than 100 kilograms. Each time, moving him from his hospital bed to the wheelchair and then up and down the stairs is a daunting task for his wife and daughter, who care for him.

　　Rehabilitation isn’t a matter of days or weeks—it can take months, even years. Old Ni’s wife and daughter haven’t hired a caregiver; they’ve been taking turns around the clock to look after him. As Old Ni undergoes his rehabilitation, his wife keeps holding his hand, moving alongside him. “Every time,” Wang Yifang says, “he sits by the bedside or crouches beside me, holding my hand, and he pushes himself to do every exercise.”

　　Finally, a miracle occurred: Old Ni’s legs gradually regained sensation, then began to move, and before long he was even able to get out of bed with his family’s help… Seeing this, Old Ni’s family felt a renewed sense of hope and redoubled their efforts in rehabilitation.

　　Now, after his morning rehabilitation session, Old Ni proactively takes on extra tasks, walking a few more steps down the hallway with his family’s assistance.

　　Qi Yuliang said, “With such a strong desire to recover, we still need to find ways to help him improve further. Since his coordination is lacking, we’ve been analyzing his performance during training to identify strategies for enhancing it. The most effective approach is to use verbal cues and motivational slogans.”

　　With a 1% glimmer of hope steadily turning into reality, the persistent, optimistic, and positive Old Ni has inspired many fellow patients. Ni Mingyue recalls that later, some family members would wheel their loved ones over to watch him do his rehabilitation—“Look how hard he’s working.” Family members of other patients say they bring their own relatives to see him, adding, “They feel that Uncle Ni is truly a role model here. Seeing how diligently he pushes himself serves as great encouragement for others: if they train properly, they too can walk like him.”

　　Fashion‑forward Lao Ni even filmed his recovery journey for Douyin, hoping to share all his hope and strength with as many people as possible…

　　Behind the “hardcore” uncle’s determined recovery lies not only his own unwavering willpower, but also the unwavering love and support of his family, who have never abandoned or given up on him. We also hope that, once he has fully recovered, he can continue to “keep going for another two or three decades.”

　　(Source: Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation Integrated Media News Center / Tang Anji; Editor: Han Yu)