Growing Toward Freedom
Growing Toward Freedom｜Let’s Meet
Recently, several international days dedicated to disability awareness have called for greater attention to the lives and equal rights of people with disabilities. They also remind us to look beyond physical limitations and recognize each person's abilities and potential. At 37, Li Xia lives with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). He retains voluntary movement in only one finger and one toe, yet he has learned programming and built a smart farm. In Shiping Village, Muer Town, Chongqing, he runs the farm with his mother and younger sister, striving to improve life for his family. What keeps him moving forward? And what dream of freedom does this farm represent for him?
Early each morning, 62-year-old Wu Dimei is already busy in the greenhouse, tilling the soil, weeding, watering the plants, and checking the equipment. Meanwhile, her 37-year-old son, Li Xia, lies in a container unit nearby, managing the farm remotely through his computer. He checks data on temperature, nutrient solutions, and water levels, and operates equipment such as water pumps. Whenever his mother encounters a problem while working, she comes back to ask him for advice. Beyond her work on the farm, Wu Dimei also takes care of her son. For them, farm work and caregiving are inseparable parts of daily life. As she puts it, “I am his hands and feet, while he is the brain.” They have maintained this routine for several years. Li Xia’s original goal in starting the farm was to build a sustainable business and leave his mother an asset she could rely on.
Li Xia was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the age of six, and his physical strength gradually declined over the years. At 31, a sudden medical emergency brought him close to death and prompted him to rethink what he could still do with his life. Determined to find new possibilities, he taught himself programming and invested nearly all his savings, taking on debt to build the smart farm. His younger sister, Li Qian, has helped care for him since primary school. Even after entering university, she continued to return home every day to look after her brother. When a fire once destroyed part of the farm, Li Qian considered giving up, but Li Xia remained determined to carry on. Later, he and his mother began making short videos to promote the farm online, hoping to improve its business and ease some of the burden on his sister.
Beyond running the farm, Li Xia has an even bigger dream: to convert a recreational vehicle into a mobile unit equipped with a basic ICU, so he can travel with his mother and younger sister and see more of the world. To make this dream a reality, all three are working together to keep the farm running. Li Xia manages the farm remotely through his computer, his mother takes care of the daily work in the greenhouse, and the two of them make short videos to attract more attention to the farm, while his younger sister continues to support them. Li Xia describes himself as bold and a little crazy. No matter how difficult things get, he believes in finding ways to change his circumstances. As he puts it, “Fate buried me, but it didn’t expect me to be a seed.” The dream still takes time to achieve, but the family has never given up. Each continues with their daily responsibilities, making the most of every day and taking small steps toward a better future.
