Du Yuanfa is an 84-year-old Chinese man who has stuck by his ailing wife for over five decades. It's been 56 years since he has been taking care of his paralysed wife and he has no intentions of stopping his unfaltering dedication towards the woman he loves.
Du Yuanfa lives with his wife in the village of Sunjiayo, in China's Shandong Province. An ex-coal miner, Yuanfa left his job to be at his wife's side after she became bed-ridden. It was in 1959 when Zhou, Yuanfa's wife was infected by an unknown disease that took away her ability to move. At the time she fell ill, she was a young girl of 20.
Yuanfa and Zhou had been married only five months when tragedy struck. However, as love perseveres through all, Yuanfa did everything in his power to be at her side and became his Zhou's ultimate strength.
He took her to several hospitals, determined to have her cured. However, all diagnoses reached the same inevitable conclusion - Zhou wouldn't be able to walk for life.
Help poured in from all corners, with family and friends eager to help the couple financially. But Yuanfa refused and chose to care for his wife, all by himself.
He told Zhou, "Don't worry. I will care for you forever."
For 56 years, Yuanfa has been his wife's caretaker. Without any help, he does all household chores, cooks meals, makes her medicine, changes her bed pan and feeds her food.
And he is still looking for a cure for Zhou. Anytime he hears of a herbal medicine, he rushes to the mountains to find the one thing that may make his wife get out of bed.
He even tastes the medicine before feeding it to Zhou, in case it turns out to be lethal.
Yuanfu and Zhou's moving tale of love has not gone unnoticed by friendly neighbours, who often bring them groceries and other necessities, and by charities who have the couple listed as their priority.
Zhou may not be able to move her body, but she is clearly the luckiest woman alive. Because some promises tear through the boundaries of ego and comfort. Because some promises know no differences between people. We salute Yuanfu for his steadfast belief in his marriage and for his pure, unadulterated love for Zhou.
Fuente: www.indiatimes.com
