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One day in September 2019, 59-year-old Cai Lei suddenly felt weakness in his right arm and realized that something was wrong. As the vice president of JD.com, Cai Lei has always been in good health, and this sudden change made him feel very confused.
He immediately rushed to the hospital, accompanied by his colleagues.
After a series of examinations, the doctor Fan Dongsheng heavily informed Cai Lei that he was suffering from an extremely rare motor neuron disease - ALS. This bad news was like a thunderbolt from the sky, smashing heavily into Cai Lei's heart.
He stood in the consultation room, his eyes glazed, and his whole person seemed to be out of the way.
ALS is a terminal disease with a 100% fatality rate, and no patient has yet fully recovered. Hearing this cruel truth, Cai Lei suddenly fell into deep despair.
As a middle-aged man with a successful career and a happy life, he never thought that he would suffer such a fate.
Cai Lei sat alone in the ward, holding a bottle of spirits in his hand, crying bitterly. He could not accept this reality, and his heart was filled with fear and despair. He thought of his wife Duan Rui and his 7-year-old son, and his heart was full of regret and guilt.
He once had a happy life, but now his life and death are uncertain.
The past life course flashed in Cai Lei's mind one by one. He was born in Shangqiu, Henan Province, and has been an excellent child since he was a child. After passing the exam, he entered the Central University of Finance and Economics in advance, and later served as an executive in Samsung Group and JD.com, and his career took off.
The encounter with Duan Rui made his life even happier, and now he has a lovely son.
But just when Cai Lei was about to enter the peak of his life, this terrible disease suddenly came. Trembling, he dialed his wife's phone and confided in her that he wanted to "die with dignity."
Cai Lei was completely desperate, thinking that his life was coming to an end and he could no longer endure this endless torture.
However, Duan Rui's reaction was unexpected by Cai Lei. She pleaded with tears in her eyes: "You can't just give up! Think of our child, he is so young and needs your care!" Suddenly, Cai Lei woke up like a dream and realized that he had abandoned his family's feelings.
He secretly vowed that he would defeat this terrible disease and not let his wife and children suffer.
Despite the fear in his heart, Cai Lei still mustered up the courage and began to fight ALS. He knew it was going to be a lonely and difficult battle, but he couldn't give up.
For the sake of his beloved family, Cai Lei made a vow to use his life to write an unforgettable story of resistance.
Cai Lei actually knew about the terrible disease of ALS. Prior to his diagnosis, he had been to a number of hospitals for full examinations, all of which showed that he was highly likely to have this rare disease.
By the time he learned of his diagnosis, his sense of despair had reached its peak.
Cai Lei looked up a lot of information about ALS on the Internet, hoping to find a glimmer of hope for a cure. However, after learning about the deadly nature of the disease, he only felt despair deepen.
The progression of ALS is extremely painful, and patients end up completely dependent on others to care for them, and even lose their ability to breathe. What is even more desperate is that even though the body is weakening, the patient's mind remains awake and cannot get rid of this torment.
Faced with such a cruel reality, Cai Lei once wavered in his desire to survive. He had wanted to end his life in a "decent" way, to get rid of this endless torture.
However, under the persuasion of his wife Duan Rui, Cai Lei finally dispelled this idea.
"You can't just give up so easily! Think of our child, who is so young and needs your care!" Duan Rui's words were like a slap in the face, allowing Cai Lei to regain the courage to fight.
He realized that he had to think not only about the individual, but also about his family. So, he made up his mind and vowed to fight this terminal illness to the end.
Since then, Cai Lei has started a lonely and difficult road to fight the disease. He first tried various "secret recipes" circulated by the people, but none of them achieved any substantive results.
Subsequently, he approached BGI in Shenzhen, hoping to find a cure for ALS by investing in their research work.
In the following years, Cai Lei spent almost all of his family's savings to support the research work of the BGI team. He often sat alone in the laboratory, staring at the experiments that were going on, filled with anxiety and anticipation.
He knew that as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he could not give up.
At the same time, Cai Lei is constantly looking for other treatment options. He traveled from place to place, visiting six top medical institutions in China, hoping to find even the slightest misdiagnosis by doctors.
But disappointingly, the results of each test unanimously confirmed his diagnosis - Cai Lei was indeed infected with this rare ALS.
In the process of battling the disease, Cai Lei's physical condition is also deteriorating day by day. He gradually lost control of his hands and feet, and even became extremely difficult to stand and walk.
But even in the face of such a predicament, Cai Lei still did not give up. He mustered up the courage to continue his stubborn fight against the disease.
Cai Lei understands that this desperate struggle with death may be destined to be borne by him alone. But the firm faith in his heart sustained him and kept him from falling into the abyss of despair.
He vowed to win this difficult battle for his wife and children, and not let his relatives suffer.
Just when Cai Lei was suffering and almost desperate, an exciting news appeared. In a news report one night, the "Doctor" column exposed a new type of globulin therapy that can effectively alleviate the symptoms of ALS.
This undoubtedly brings hope to patients like Cai Lei.
Cai Lei stared at the TV screen excitedly, tears welling up unconsciously. Over the years, he has been fighting alone and supporting bits and pieces, and now he finally sees the light.
Although this new treatment is not a cure in the true sense of the word, at least it will alleviate the suffering of patients and give them hope for life.
The moment he heard the news, Cai Lei's heart was full of excitement and emotion. He finally saw his chance to overcome this terrible disease. Over the years, he has been crushed by despair again and again, but each time he has survived with his tenacious will.
Now, that perseverance has finally paid off.
Cai Lei couldn't wait to call BGI to inquire about this new globulin therapy. He was a little disappointed to learn that the therapy was in clinical trials and that it was still some time before it was officially put into use, but still hoped that he would be among the first to be put into trial.
With the wealth accumulated over the years, Cai Lei soon reached a cooperation agreement with BGI. He decided to invest more than RMB 1 billion to support the company in accelerating its research and development schedule to launch the new treatment as soon as possible.
With the cooperation of both parties, the clinical trial progress of the novel globulin therapy has been significantly accelerated.
In the long and arduous waiting process, Cai Lei always pays attention to the dynamics of research progress. He often comes to BGI in person to discuss and communicate with the research team and put forward his own opinions and suggestions.
As a beneficiary, he hopes to do his part to contribute to this research in any way he can.
Finally, one day after another 3 years, the news that made Cai Lei excited came. The novel globulin therapy is in the final stages of clinical trials and is expected to be officially launched in the near future.
This undoubtedly made Cai Lei get amnesty, and he finally saw the dawn of his fight against the disease.
Although there is still a lot of uncertainty about the possibility of curing ALS, it is undoubtedly a great encouragement for Cai Lei to be able to effectively alleviate the condition. He knew that he might not be able to wait for a real cure, but as long as he could delay the deterioration of his condition and alleviate his pain, it would be a great gift.
In order to maximize his chances of receiving new treatments, Cai Lei did not hesitate to take the initiative to propose to the research team that he would like to be the first batch of clinical trial subjects.
He firmly believes that as long as he can pass the trial, other ALS patients will also benefit from it. Although the physical torture continued, Cai Lei's inner will became more and more firm.
With the successful progress of the clinical trial of the new globulin therapy, Cai Lei's physical condition has also improved significantly. Unable to walk on his own, he is now able to barely stand and walk around.
Although the coordination of hands and feet is still poor, it is much better than before.
Seeing that his physical condition has improved, Cai Lei's heart is full of joy and hope. He finally saw the light of victory over this terrible disease, and the despair in his heart was gradually replaced by courage and determination.
He firmly believes that as long as he persists, he will one day be able to overcome this terminal illness and regain a happy life.
However, as a medical expert, Cai Lei is also well aware that even with the initial success of the new treatment, the possibility of curing ALS is still very slim.
The disease is so lethal that no patient has ever made a full recovery.
Cai Lei often meditates alone, thinking about his future fate. He understands that even if the new drug can delay the deterioration of the disease, he will not be able to wait for a real cure.
The weakening of the body and the consumption of life will undoubtedly bring great pain and burden to the family. Such a realization made him feel a little guilty and guilty.
"What if I had really given up? At least my wife and children wouldn't have suffered so much. Such thoughts often come to Cai Lei's mind.
But then he will think of his wife's steadfast attitude and his responsibility to his family. He was determined to do his best to overcome this terminal illness, even if it was just to prevent his loved ones from suffering more.
Although the future is still full of uncertainties, Cai Lei is ready for the worst. He quietly drafted the will and carefully arranged the worries of his family.
At the same time, he also put more energy into the research and development of new drugs, hoping to bring a ray of life to other patients.
Even though the road ahead is still full of dangers, Cai Lei's heart at the moment is unprecedentedly firm. He knew that he had to meet all the challenges ahead with the utmost courage and determination.
No matter what the outcome is, he will use his life to write an unforgettable story of resistance.