This week in Shanghaiist
As you might expect, Yao's life has never been easy (link and story from Epoch Times, blocked in China due to its pro-FLG, anti-CCP stances):
Yao Defen was born in Shucha Town of Liuan City in Shuchen County, Anhui Province in 1972. The fourth child of her family, she weighed only 6.16 pounds at birth. At age 3, her food intake was three times that of other children her age. By age 11, her height was 6 ft. 2 in., and she grew to be 6 ft. 8 in. by age 15. Finally, she became the tallest woman in Asia at 7 ft. 5 in., which is almost seven inches taller than the woman basketball star Zhen Haixia.The story of this "woman giant" began to spread rapidly after she went to see a doctor at age 15 for an illness. After that, many companies attempted to train her to be a talented sports star. However, the plans were discarded because Yao was too weak. Because she is illiterate, since 1992 Yao Defen has been forced to earn a living by traveling with her father and performing.
Yao Defen's father and mother are both about 5 ft. 2 in. tall. Yao's giant stature was caused by a large tumor in the pituitary gland of her brain, which was releasing too much growth hormone and caused excessive growth in her bones. Six years ago, a hospital in Guangzhou Province removed the tumor and she stopped growing.
How is Yao's life now as the famous "woman gaint"? According to reports by China News Net, Yao Defen said she has gained nothing after two years of hard work. In 2003, she signed with a circus manager in Suzhou City in order to make a living and support her mother. During her national tours, she fell several times during the performances, and injured several parts of her body. Her boss, a person identified only as Mr. Qui, refused her request to be taken to a hospital and forced her to continue the performing.
According to Yao, her health worsened, which affected her performances. Her boss became dissatisfied with her performance. One day in 2004, she asked Qiu to take her to a hospital once more. Instead, Qiu took her up a mountain, where she was held for 24 hours without food or water.
In 2004, her colleagues, Wang and Ding, conspired with her boss to trick her into signing another one-year contract to perform with the traveling circus, telling her there was a new boss. When the terms of the contract expired, she asked the circus to send her home, but Qiu took her to the mountain again and threatened her. Finally, in late December, Qiu let her go home .
All the hard work and moving around from place to place causes Yao's constant pain in her lower back which keeps her from sleeping. Yao Defen's biggest wish is to be able to go to a big hospital for a health examination.
It would be nice if someone would have provided info on how readers can help Yao, some address to which people can send money ... or something. If anyone knows of anything, please let us know.
Larger (uncredited) versions of the Reuters photos can be found here. And another one here. The Reuters photographer who took these shots is Nir Elias, who can sometimes be found using his laptop and drinking coffee at Boonna.
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If you'd like to help Yao Defen pay for medical expenses, please consider visiting the Yao Defen Appeal website. Thank you for helping.
I saw a special on TV about her and her health problems and if I were rich I would give her the $$$ but I am not. I wish to hear from her and be her friend all the way from America. My name is Natalie.
I will be praying for you Yao Defen
I have just seen the programe on yao Defen in the UK
The appeal raised the funds required , i do hope and pray that she is still recovering so that she can have the required surgery to take away the tumor.
she is such a wonderfull determined person god bless her and her family .
I am so touched my this women's determination..God bless you Yao Defen..my prayers are with you and your family. AudreyT
I saw a tv program about Defen Yao. I live in Chicago in the USA. I would like to help. I will look further into how I can help her directly through the website. I would like her to know that there are good people in the world that want to help and not see her suffer. I want her to know also that she is not alone and people are out there that want to help. I hope she can get better and have a happy life with her family.
What is the status of Yao Defen today (July 2007)? Did she have the surgery? Is she still alive? Is she stronger and healthier thatn when the documentary was made? I can't find any 2007 news stories on her. AK
"During her national tours, she fell several times during the performances, and injured several parts of her body. Her boss, a person identified only as Mr. Qui, refused her request to be taken to a hospital and forced her to continue the performing."
How typical of baddirtyugly China.
nanheyangrouchuan
This story is a little off. I saw doctors perform the "new surgery" through the nose with a scope they spoke of on The Discovery Documentary 0ver 20-year sago in New York and it is pretty common. Also at Harvard 25 years ago we used to treat benign pituitary tumours in The New England Deaconess Hospital with arc treatments on 6mV linear accelerators in giants and they did very well. There is a proton facility in Northern China and lots of gamma knives so why is the neurosurgeon not treating her as candidate for that for disease control when she has so many other medical complications? They have a Varian Trilogy linac in Beijing that can do radiosurgery quite nicely. I did not notice any consideration of this modality of treatment by the doctors. Can they explain why not?
My wife and I watched a program on television on Yao Defen.We were inspired by her spirit.We have prayed for her and we wish that she is able to be returned to health.We will continue to pray for her and ask that God bless her.Please tell her that there are many people who care for her.
I recently watch a show on tv and i was wondering if she has had the surgery and is everything is okay marcia 08302007
i just saw the show on tv...make cry a lot......she 's a wonderfull person ..god bless her and her family....i'll pray for her health....
big hugs fron clombia.....
I was really moved by her story and would really like to know if her surgery was successful and where we can donate to help her and her family.
2-17-2008.
David
I saw De-Fen's story last night and I am wondering how she is doing? My heart goes out to her and her family. I couldn't find anything recent on the internet on how she is doing. I know God has a purpose for her life as he does all of His Children. If she sees this posted comment, I want her to know I am thinking of her and praying for her and her family.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
God Bless you and your family!
Lesa
I also just saw Yao Defens story and it pierced through my heart. First for Yao and her family, and sadly for us. We watch other's suffer daily and are entertained daily by people throwing away obscene amounts of money that could save someones life. We have become a selfish people. The program that was put on about Yao should have been updated on world news until she was perfectly taken care of that's one of our sister's in desperate need. I can't understand how the people involved with the program could just walk away. Our Heavenly Father watches us to see just how selfish we can be even with all the dangerous signs we are witnessing all over the world, we still won't do what he ask us to do which is Love! If anyone has updates or information on how to seriously help Yao please post!
maybe it sounds silly, but I wonder if we can or should start something like a "fan club" for Yao Defen, or even get her on facebook or myspace. just a thought
Ms. Yao Defen, I send you all my best wishes for a healthy, normal life ... i pray you are doing better now?
I just saw the tv program last night, and I really wish to know how to help with in any way i can.
Will someone please provide update info on Ms. Yao Defen.
Frankly I don't understand WHY, with the "powers of god's will be done", life has dealt such cards and allows for this undeserving agony be bestowed on any living individual! It's outrageous that anyone have to endure any agony or devastation in their 'god-given' natural existence.
I know that we cannot understand His Way, But I know we can understand that Ms Yao Defen's purpose in life - teaches us all something special ... be it Inspiration, a Humble Spirit of Life, a Fortitude and Sincerity to overcome life's challenges, so many lessons we learn from Ms. Yao Defen. God Bless You.
Ms. Yao Defen, I just saw the tv program last night I'm from chicago,ill and I was very sad about your story and what your going thur. I want to help you in any way I can.Can someone please give us an up date or a website where we can touch base with her or know about her condition or maybe send her a card or something in the mail to her please.Ms. Yao Defen I hope your doing well. My prays and thoughts are with you and your family. God bless you.
I just watched the program about Yao Defen (from Dallas) and my heart goes out to her. I have searched the web for updates but found nothing. Im hoping she has had the surgery by now. Im going to be praying for her.God bless her. I hope if someone is able to get an update, they will post it.