An indomitable will to live

In July, I met Gao Zhihong, a remarkable woman who, despite great personal suffering, considers herself to be a fortunate person who just happens to have had some unfortunate experiences.

"I was paralyzed, but I survived. It claimed so many lives," the 65-year-old said. "It" was the 1976 Tangshan earthquake - a magnitude 7.8 tremblor that left more than 240,000 people dead and injured an estimated 164,000.

Although they were both paralyzed, Gao and her husband, Yang Yufang, survived, unlike many relatives and friends.