Sheng Hailin, who is now 72 years old, is dressed in simple and warm home clothes, holding a heavy photo album in her hand, and her eyes are looking affectionately at two of her daughter's photos. Every time her eyes fell on those smiling faces, her eyes would glisten with tears, recalling the decision that changed the course of her life twelve years ago like a bolt from the blue.
Back then, Sheng Hailin was a military doctor full of honors, and her professional image was deeply respected by her peers. However, fate seems to have orchestrated an infinitely regrettable prank for her as she entered her sixtieth year. It was during the Spring Festival holiday in 2009, which was supposed to be a time for the harmonious family to gather together for the festive season, but the two dearest daughters, Tingting and son-in-law, died of gas poisoning during their honeymoon trip.
"Just three days later, I was left to carry my daughter's urn in my arms and silently return to the home that had been full of laughter and laughter. Sheng Hailin's voice trembled so much that she could barely speak, and tears slipped down like pearls with broken threads. She began to dream of her daughter's voice and smile frequently, and even had the urge to commit suicide at one point, but it was only because of the patient persuasion and companionship of her beloved husband and relatives and friends that she temporarily gave up this desperate thought.
Having lost her only daughter, Sheng Hailin fell into a dark abyss that lasted for two months. She began to turn a deaf ear to the world around her, turning a blind eye to the care and condolences of the outside world, and even the once affectionate titles of "father" and "mother" could not bring back her heart.
Sheng Hailin and his wife were relatively silent every day, tears soaking through their clothes, quietly waiting for the pain to gradually subside.
"In order to survive, we tried to adopt orphans. Sheng Hailin said with emotion that they personally went to the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken area and the major welfare homes in Hefei, but they were refused. Everyone thinks that the two elderly people are really unable to take on the burden of raising their children.
Just when all hope became slim, Sheng Hailin made a decision that surprised everyone - she decided to try IVF technology! Although her family and friends expressed opposition, and even her husband was adamantly opposed at first, Sheng Hailin showed great perseverance after strengthening her belief.
"If you can't agree, then let's get a divorce!" Under the pressure of his wife's powerful words, the husband finally chose to compromise.
After the husband and wife reached a consensus, Sheng Hailin embarked on a road full of hardships to seek a child. She set off from Anhui Province, traveled to Nanjing, Shanghai, and finally arrived in Beijing, but was ruthlessly turned away by the hospital every time.
When it was learned that the woman was looking for in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer with hope, many hospitals politely declined her appointment for various reasons. Although some enlightened medical experts are deeply sympathetic to the mother who has lost her child, they are still afraid to take risks in the face of the risks that may arise during the procedure.
Sheng Hailin burst into tears and begged bitterly, but the experts could only shake their heads helplessly and refuse. Seeing that there was no way out, she had no choice but to ask for help from her former comrades-in-arms in Anhui again, and pinned her last hope on the 105 Hospital of the People's Liberation Army.
With her unwavering determination and clear understanding of the risks, she eventually won the surgery. "At that time, I had made it clear to the hospital and the doctors that I was willing to take any potential risks. "As a former doctor, I have a lot of experience in childbirth, and I will do my best to make all the preparations." "
However, both Sheng Hailin and the doctor understand that there are huge risks hidden behind this expectation. "I am willing to give my life for the cause of science, even in the face of death. "But for me, death may be a relief." "
In order to restore her normal fertility, Sheng Hailin began to receive a large number of estrogen injections and medication from July 2009, and had to endure the pain of needle prick and complications every day. After three months of unremitting efforts, she finally resumed her menstrual cycle and smoothly moved on to the next stage.
On October 13, 2009, doctors carefully implanted three embryos into Sheng Hailin's uterus.
In the face of this "miracle", the doctors could only shake their heads and sigh silently. Considering Sheng Hailin's age, they did not have much confidence in the survival rate of these three embryos.
When Sheng Hailin excitedly told the doctor the good news, the other party was silent for a long time, unable to believe the facts of what happened in front of him.
However, the days that followed were not easy. As the pregnancy progressed, Sheng Hailin suffered from many complications such as high blood pressure, hypoproteinemia, and severe edema, and her weight quickly soared to 160 pounds. "Every day is a purgatory-like torment for me, so painful that I want to give up on life. Sheng Hailin muttered in a low voice, her eyes empty and confused.
However, whenever she thinks about the eagerness to welcome the two beautiful new lives, her heart suddenly surges with endless energy, and she is brave and fearless! With the full support and meticulous care given by her husband, Sheng Hailin is firmly moving towards the finish line of production step by step.
On May 25, 2010, Sheng Hailin was only seven months pregnant, and miraculously gave birth to two weak babies. Due to the extremely severe phenomenon of premature birth, their birth weight was already on the verge of life and death: the elder sister Zhizhi weighed only 3.7 pounds, and the younger sister Huihui was only 2.9 pounds.
The merciless tricks of fate caused my sister to spend 37 long days and nights in an incubator, and my sister had to stay there for a full 47 days.
Witnessing the unspeakable pain of two delicate beings in the incubator, Sheng Hailin's heart was filled with deep self-blame. The high daily hospitalization cost is as high as about 6,000 yuan, which undoubtedly puts huge financial pressure on the retired couple.
It was then that they experienced the serious challenges of "lack of money".
Although her daughters came to earth safely, Sheng Hailin's challenges have only just begun. The cost of staying in the hospital for two premature babies was already a huge expense, but as they grew older, more expenses awaited the retired couple.
In order to earn the necessities of life, Sheng Hailin had to embark on a journey around her daughter before she was less than 100 days old. She used to be a veteran military doctor with a wealth of medical knowledge, so it was not difficult to set up courses and spread the word about health and wellness in various places.
However, it also means that she will be separated from her family for a long time, and it will take great effort and toil.
In order to allow his wife to work with peace of mind, the husband found a job nearby and hired two nannies at the same time. After everything was ready, Sheng Hailin began to travel around the country, teaching more than 20 classes a month, and staying at home for only four or five days at most.
"To others, I seemed energetic and refreshed. "But in reality, my husband and wife were still busy with their daughters' lives, and we couldn't enjoy our old age as comfortably as other retirees." ”
As Zhizhi and Huihui enter the school-age stage, more challenges arise. On the one hand, in 2016, her husband who was almost old was unfortunately paralyzed by a stroke, and the heavy responsibility of care fell on Sheng Hailin's shoulders alone.
On the other hand, the two daughters also suffered discrimination and ridicule from their peers at school.
"There are many people who claim that you are a fatherless and motherless IVF and that you were conceived by abnormal means. "Every time they are attacked with such remarks, Zhizhi and Huihui will have tears in their eyes and be in pain.
Although they have shown perseverance and independence at a young age, they are still just two ignorant children in their hearts.
Faced with such a predicament, Sheng Hailin could not seek help from others, so she could only personally guide her daughter to build up a firm self-confidence. "When they were still in their prime, I did my best to nurture their independence. She is well aware that there is a generational gap between her and her husband compared to her younger parents.
Years of hard work have cost Sheng Hailin a huge price. In 2019, at the age of 72, she and 19-year-old Huihui both suffered from serious illnesses and their lives were in danger.
After quitting her job, Sheng Hailin was engrossed in accompanying her family every day. Despite decades of hard work, she and her husband have saved nearly 10 million yuan of solid family property for their daughters to ensure that their future life and studies are carefree.
However, even so, Sheng Hailin is still worried that her physical condition is deteriorating day by day, and she may not be able to accompany her daughters to grow up for a long time. "My most basic wish is to be able to witness the moment when Zhizhi and Huihui are dressed in the robes. Sheng Hailin said affectionately, she even hopes that she can live to be 100 years old and witness them form their own warm family.
However, raising children is not an easy task, and it is not enough to simply meet their material needs. "I can't make them feel inferior. I look forward to the third generation of my family, but more importantly, I want them to live happily ever after. Sheng Hailin knew how hard the loss of Tingting had hit her, so she did everything she could to prevent Zhizhi and Huihui from suffering the same trauma.
She has never shied away from telling her daughters the story of her sister Tingting. Whenever she talks about Tingting, Sheng Hailin's voice is always full of emotions intertwined with grief and pride. She seemed to be able to see Tingting in a French tunic coat, which was the last time they met.
"I thought, how about we let my mother comb your hair for you?" Sheng Hailin's eyes dimmed, as if she had returned to the helpless night when she and her husband were left silently and tearfully in their eyes. The moment of losing their only child brought them such heart-rending and painful!
It is precisely because of that deep experience that Sheng Hailin cherishes the current reunion time even more. She gently took each daughter into her arms, hugged them tightly, and kissed their smooth foreheads affectionately, as if to fully integrate them into her own life.
"Mother loves you dearly, and may you live a carefree life. Sheng Hailin murmured in a low voice, gently stroking her daughters' hair, her eyes full of endless nostalgia and reluctance to part.
The advent of Zhizhi and Huihui has brought back the warmth of this once shattered family. However, the hardships experienced in the process of raising children far exceeded Sheng Hailin's initial expectations.
At a very young age, she began to develop her daughters' self-confident and independent personality qualities.