Falun Dafa Cured My Terminal Illness

(Minghui.org) I was diagnosed with a terminal illness when I was in my 30s, and given no more than five years to live. Fortunately, I encountered Falun Dafa, and it was Master Li who saved me from the brink of death. Through Master’s compassion and greatness I was granted a new lease on life, allowing me to blossom anew like a withered tree in spring.

Terminally Ill

It was 1995 when I was only 36 years old that troubling symptoms began to appear. It began with red spots on my feet that gradually increased in size. A fever then set in, and I became so weak that I could hardly do anything. One day, when visiting a neighbor and watching television, my hair began falling out in big clumps, covering the floor; I was bewildered and had no idea what was happening. Later, the neighbor told my mother, “Your daughter is losing so much hair. You really ought to take her to a hospital for a checkup.” According to elders, losing that much hair is a sign of a terminal illness.

Upon hearing this, my mother took me to a hospital. The initial outpatient examination failed to identify the cause of the illness. We then paid out-of-pocket to visit a Traditional Chinese Medicine hospital, where the treatment consisted of applying medicinal plasters and ointments daily; they felt cool against my skin but only offered temporary relief from the fever. Each plaster cost dozens of yuan—a huge expense for our low-income family. Yet after undergoing this treatment for some time, there was no improvement. Those days felt interminable. I was utterly listless, feeling like a useless invalid. Boarding a bus required me to grip the doorway with both hands and summon every ounce of my strength just to climb aboard. Children on the bus would call out, “Hello, Grandma,” even though I was only 36! Tears constantly welled up in my eyes. I weeped in private, consumed by deep anguish.

Seeing me in such agony, my mother took me to a major hospital for treatment. I was admitted shortly before the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1995. Pathology tests led to a diagnosis of systemic polyarteritis nodosa—a condition none of us had ever heard of or understood at the time. The doctor explained that there was no cure. The condition could only be managed with corticosteroids, supplemented by medications to protect the liver, brain, and heart. Furthermore, the steroid dosage could only be increased, never reduced, and I had to visit the hospital weekly for blood tests.

This disease causes organ ischemia and functional impairment, and can even be life-threatening. Symptoms included generalized weakness, fever, and the appearance of small red lumps that became swollen and inflamed. Small red spots on my feet indicated that the blood vessels there were inflamed and obstructed. These spots gradually enlarged, spread from my feet up to my thighs, and continued to advance—the implications were terrifying. The doctor told my mother that my life expectancy was not long.

At the same time, due to the heavy use of steroids, my face gradually became severely swollen and bloated, and my body turned rock-hard—rigid as sheet metal. I also continued to lose hair; I was nearly bald. My nephew was terrified and wept when he saw me, while relatives and friends assumed I was undergoing chemotherapy. My mother wept constantly. I was in such agony, wishing for death, and actually contemplated suicide. Yet, my mother was still alive, and my child was so young. The thought of a parent having to bury their own child—what a devastating tragedy that would be! And how pitiful a child would be without a mother’s love. I simply couldn’t bear to let go, so I abandoned the idea.

I ate six meals a day. My mother brewed herbal medicine for me daily and bought ducks to make nourishing soup. Because of the steroids, I suffered from an internal fever and needed to eat cooling foods. Duck is considered cooling, and helped alleviate the heat. In front of me, my mother always put on a cheerful front, forcing a smile every day, yet whenever she was with others, she would break down in tears—her eyes constantly swollen from crying.

Finding Dafa

In early February 1996, I heard that Falun Dafa could cure illnesses and improve physical health. A glimmer of hope arose in my heart, and I wondered, “What is Falun Dafa? Can it save me? Where can I find it?”

Desperate for help, and walking with a faltering gait, I dragged my ailing body to the park to search for Falun Dafa. On the first day, I entered through the park’s east gate. Upon arriving at the entrance, I asked someone, “Is Falun Dafa practiced here?”

The person replied, “No! Why don’t you join us in practicing this dance instead?” I told them that I didn’t want to learn that dance, and wanted to practice Falun Dafa. Unable to find it that day, I went home.

I returned to the park the next day. This time, I entered through the south gate. Again, I asked someone if Falun Dafa was practiced here. She said, “I haven’t seen it. Why not practice this dance?” I declined, saying that I wanted to practice Falun Dafa. I walked a full circle around the park but still couldn’t find it, so I had to go home once again. Looking back on it now, perhaps Master was testing my determination to cultivate Dafa.

I returned to the park on the third day and walked straight inside. It was a cold, rainy day, and I was wearing gloves and holding an umbrella. Upon reaching the small bridge near the pavilion, I clasped my hands together, and said, “Master Li, please grant me your blessing and show me where Falun Dafa is. I want to practice Falun Dafa!” I repeated this several times, and suddenly felt as though I was standing on a boat, being gently pushed forward by successive waves—a truly pleasant sensation. Instinctively, I turned to the right. As I reached an open area, a brilliant beam of white light shone directly down on to the top of my head. Just then, I heard the audio instructions for the first exercise. I hurried toward the sound and saw two people doing the exercises under a willow tree by the pond. I was overcome with excitement; I knew I had found Falun Dafa! I knew it was Master who had guided me there!

I approached them and said, “I want to practice Falun Dafa, too! Could you teach me?”

One of them replied, “Certainly! Please take off your gloves.” I immediately removed my gloves and joined them in doing the exercises. Although the weather was chilly, I didn’t feel the cold at all; my heart felt warm and glowing. I later learned that the two people who taught me were a bureau director and his wife.

It Works Wonders

A practice site was soon established in our area, and I began going there every day to do the exercises. Copies of Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa, were in very short supply, and since I didn’t have a copy, I simply focused on doing the exercises more frequently—once in the morning and again in the evening. Practicing the sitting meditation was quite difficult for me because I had previously taken steroid medication, leaving my body, legs, and feet stiff. When I tried to sit in the full lotus position, I struggled to lift my legs up. If I managed to lift one, it would quickly drop back down with a loud thud, and it was very painful. But I didn’t give up. I would hold my leg and lift it back up again. Gradually, I managed to hold the position for five, 10, and then 15 minutes—slowly persevering and pushing through the difficulty. Being able to sit for 15 minutes felt like a huge victory, and later I was able to sit for half an hour. Breaking past the half-hour mark was another major hurdle. In this way, I was overcoming challenges every single day.

It wasn’t just the challenge of sitting in the meditiation position. Every time after doing the meditiation exercise, there would be a puddle of water on the floor—fluid that had been expelled from my body. In winter, my meditation cushion became soaking wet. The fluid had a foul, pungent odor—a strong smell of traditional Chinese medicine permeated the whole room. One day, it suddenly dawned on me that Master was cleansing and purifying my body! Master was expelling the impurities and medicinal residues from the areas where my illnesses had once been. Choked with emotion and unable to hold back my tears, I once again felt deep gratitude toward Master! I could only imagine how much Master had endured for me and how much karma Master had eliminated. Without Master’s salvation, I would have long since passed away.

I was anxious to obtain a copy of Zhuan Falun and I heard that a certain bureau chief had a copy, so I went to his home to borrow it. I told them I would like to have it for a week so my mother and I could read it together. They agreed but urged me to read it all the way through without interruption. I readily agreed. I was thrilled, feeling as though I had obtained a priceless treasure, and cherished the book deeply as I brought it home. I wrapped this precious book in white paper, fearing I might damage it. Before reading, I always washed my hands thoroughly, approaching Master’s book with the utmost reverence. I finished reading Zhuan Falun in two days, and my mother finished it in five days.

Falun Dafa proved to be truly miraculous in eliminating illnesses and restoring my health! After practicing for six months, my hair had grown back—thick, black, and lustrous—and my complexion was rosy and radiant; my body was healthier than it had been in my youth. Everyone at the factory marveled at my transformation. Inspired by my example, many people began practicing Dafa, including several members of my own family!

The Chinese Communist Party’s evil persecution began in 1999. Eight people came to my home one day, claiming that the goverment forbade the practice of Falun Dafa, and pressured us to give it up. I shared my personal experiences with them right then and there to introduce the practice. My mother also spoke about the state of my health before and after I began practicing. It was at that moment that my mother revealed a truth that she had never dared to tell me before, that doctors had said that I had only five years to live. Those eight individuals who had come to “transform” us were visibly moved upon seeing my excellent state of well-being. One of them remarked as they left, “We were almost ‘transformed’ by you instead!”

I am deeply grateful for Master’s salvation! Words cannot fully express my gratitude. Thank you, Master!