"This little leaf is very fortunate. The warm sun has accompanied it through the winter and the strong branch on which it grows has held it fast. Thanks to the support from the sunlight and the tree, the leaf can fulfill its purpose. Someday, the little leaf may return the favor to the sun and the tree."

What people remember most about Qiu Ming-zhen is her smile, not the absence of her left hand or her right leg. She entered the world without her hand and her leg was amputated when she was eight years old, but her enduring smile has been with her from the beginning. It continues to warm the hearts of everyone she meets. She may look like a little leaf, but this "little leaf" possesses an inner strength and resilience great enough to pay back even the sun and trees.

Gorgeous sunlight bathed the countryside in Kaohsiung County in southern Taiwan. Our car jolted along the rough and rocky roads as we followed the signposts to Meinong, a township renowned for its unique Hakka handicrafts. Despite the bumpy ride, we were inspired by the picturesque rural scenery around us.

We were here to visit Qiu Ming-zhen (邱明媜). As we drew near to our destination, her father waved at us from the entrance to an alley. We pulled up and climbed out of the car. Ming-zhen and her mother came out of the house to welcome us. Their little black dog circled excitedly around our feet.

"Don's touch Blackie's head," Ming-zhen warned us, fearing the dog might bite. She waved her crutch at Blackie and commanded him to wait outside the front door as we entered their house.　

I was diagnosed with bone cancer in the third grade. While I was hospitalized, my body withered like a leaf in the fall. However, the leaf refused to fall from the tree. With its tiny stem, it held very stubbornly onto the tree branch.

At the beginning of November 1984, doctors and nurses at Qishan Hospital in Kaohsiung welcomed a special baby girl into the world. With her wrinkled skin, she didn't look very beautiful, but she drew a lot of attention. The baby was Qiu Ming-zhen, a girl destined to attract a lot of attention.

Ming-zhen was healthy in all respects but one: her left arm was only four centimeters (1.5 inches) long. The rest of her arm, including her hand, had never developed.

"As I grew older, I never felt that I had something missing from my body. I was born this way; it's the only life I've ever known," she reflected. Just as other children develop the skills to coordinate the use of their limbs, so did Ming-zhen. She soon became very adept at taking care of herself using only her right hand.

But when she was just eight years old, she faced a far more serious challenge. After weeks of pain in her right leg, her parents took her to the doctor. Several more doctor visits and subsequent tests confirmed everyone's worst fears: she was diagnosed with bone cancer. She was only in the third grade.

Her parents were devastated. "We were already heartbroken over her missing left hand, but we never expected that another torment would be waiting for her a few years later," recalled Mrs. Qiu. "The doctor said that her chance of survival was only 20 percent. Realizing that she was still so young, we just couldn't accept it." The Qius were crying over the diagnosis when Ming-zhen tapped her mother lightly on the shoulder. "Mommy, don't cry! I'll always be strong and be by your side, no matter what disease I might get!"

The doctor recommended amputating Ming-zhen's right foot to prevent the spread of cancer to the rest of her body. Although the thought of their young daughter undergoing such a surgery broke their hearts, Ming-zhen's parents agreed to it. It seemed their only hope for saving their daughter's life.

Ming-zhen remembers that difficult time. "I was hospitalized for a long time fighting the disease. In addition to the amputation, I also underwent chemotherapy. I became so weak, and I lost all my hair and my appetite. I couldn't eat anything."

Recalling the experience several years later, she wrote, "I was like a withering leaf in the fall, about to flutter and fall with the strong west winds. However, the leaf held stubbornly onto the tree branch with its tiny stem. The leaf refused to admit defeat; it didn't want to disappoint the sunlight."

"Ming-zhen fought hard for her life. We simply supported her," said Mrs. Qiu. She began to choke up as she recalled the past, her voice trembling with tears. Sensitive and supportive, Ming-zhen held her mother's hand as she continued. "Our young girl was much braver than other children. You have to realize that even ordinary people can barely tolerate chemotherapy, and yet here she was, an eight-year-old, enduring this terrible treatment! The doctors and nurses could see that Ming-zhen was different. She willingly submitted to all her therapies without coaxing or complaining."

Ming-zhen continued the narrative: "I tried not to let the amputation slow me down. I struggled to do all the things I had done before, like riding my bicycle." Amazingly, she was able to do so! Despite the obvious challenge, she still happily rode her bicycle to school every day and played with the other children in the neighborhood. There was nothing she could not do if she put her mind to it.

Ironically, taking the bus turned out to be the most inconvenient aspect in her life. Any sudden braking would send her tumbling. She once took the bus with friends, but was slow making it out the door at their desired stop. The insensitive bus driver closed the door before she could disembark, forcing her to wait until the next stop to exit. With characteristic good humor, she added, "Fortunately, I only had to walk back one stop. At least I wasn't taking the train!"

Her brother, Zhao-zhang, added, "My sister is very independent and mature. She may not move about so freely, but she still helps out at home, washing the dishes and the clothes. We are all proud of her."　

I envied my classmates who could play ball, running and moving so freely. But then, I just told myself that I had one hand and one leg left with which I could still play ball. If that wasn't good enough, I could cheer them on with my loud voice from the sidelines.　

Sadly, it is not uncommon for parents in Taiwan to feel that having a physically challenged child brings shame to the family. Such children are encouraged to stay home out of the public eye. But Mr. and Mrs. Qiu completely disagree with those outdated notions. They have always encouraged Ming-zhen to get out of the house and experience as much of the outside world as possible. Mrs. Qiu said, "Her body was different from that of other 'normal' people, but I didn't want her to feel different from others. I wanted her physical challenges to result in a stronger, healthier mentality. The most direct way to do this was to bring her out, to allow interaction with other people, the environment, and nature."

Ming-zhen has gone with her parents to many scenic areas in Taiwan. "I even tried hang-gliding and paragliding. The ground staff there didn't believe that I could brake with one leg when I landed, so several big guys came running towards me, afraid that I might have an accident. But I landed without any problem."

Naturally, her physical disability does attract attention from other people, but she has become accustomed to their stares. She has even developed a very mature attitude about it. "Actually, I'm not concerned about how people see me. Even I look at people in outlandish clothing, so it's no surprise they look at me." Once, she met a group of elementary school students on the road. They stared at her and asked why she had lost a hand and a leg. Instead of taking offense at their curiosity, she replied with characteristic wisdom, "I'm like this because I was sick. You should take care of yourselves and listen to your parents' good advice."

Instead of obsessing about how other people saw her, she chose to focus on her own development. "She's good at studying, and she's received more awards than you can count," said her brother. She graduated with the highest scores among all of the students in her elementary school. In middle school, she was among one of the top three at every examination. She scored well in every subject, but she particularly excelled in essay writing, painting and calligraphy. Whenever she went to a contest on behalf of the school or her home class, she would usually return with an award. She was even elected a model student.

"Ming-zhen was really outstanding," said her junior high school teacher, Huang Sheng-qian. "The most admirable thing about her was her sense of independence; she never once asked for a leave of absence due to her disability." Although she couldn't run, jump or play ball as easily as other students, she never missed a P.E. class or an outdoor activity.

Ming-zhen said, "I always envied the way my classmates could play ball so freely. But then, I told myself that I could jump around and play ball with one hand and one leg too, or I could simply cheer on my friends from the sidelines."

With this positive attitude, Ming-zhen was a natural role model for her classmates. Her teacher used Ming-zhen's good example to encourage other students. In fact, Ming-zhen's can-do, forward-striving, and cheerful attitude contributed to her winning the junior high school division of the Presidential Education Award in 2001. Zeng Zhi-lang, former minister of education, presented the award to her in person.

Mr. Huang remembers that exciting day. "Minister Zeng told our students that when he saw the confidence and hope in her eyes, he knew that she had no need to rely on others. On the contrary, he said that Ming-zhen would be the one to lead her classmates forward."

When she walked across the stage to receive her award at the graduation ceremony, everyone applauded thunderously. The ovation testified to everyone's sincerity, approval and good wishes. Few knew of the difficult challenges Ming-zhen had overcome to get there or the undying support of her family.　

When reporters took my pictures at school, it would disturb other students in my class. I felt sorry for them. But then I told myself that I shouldn't be too concerned over a small inconvenience to my classmates. If my story could encourage others, it was worth it.　

Ming-zhen's excellent achievement in school in spite of her physical limitations attracted the attention of many reporters. Journalists have photographed her and reported on her life since her days in elementary school.

"Actually, I didn't use to like reporters very much," she said. "Their interviews would interrupt my classes and disturb everyone else, especially my classmates. I always felt sorry for them."

Mrs. Qiu went on to explain, "Ming-zhen never liked to bother other people, so she was very concerned about the inconvenience caused by reporters. I once asked her, 'If your story can inspire other people to move forward and face their challenges, isn't the temporary inconvenience to your classmates justified?'"

"My mother put my mind at ease with that question," recalls Ming-zhen. "After all, I once received a lot help from other people, so I shouldn't be too concerned about doing the right things to help others."　

I once wanted to study social work in university so I could work for a charity organization.　

After graduation from high school, Ming-zhen left her hometown of 20 years to study in Hualien. She is now enrolled in the Department of Communication Studies at Tzu Chi University. "I once wanted to study social work so I could work for a charity organization, but after thinking about it, I decided there was more than one way to help others. Goodness, beauty and truth can be passed to others in the mass media too. I think it can be seen as a way 'to reach the same goal by a different means.'"

Just like when she was growing up, her sense of independence has won attention from other people on campus.

"It's not her physical disabilities that garner Ming-zhen so much attention," comments one of her college classmates. "It's her independence." It's not unusual to see Ming-zhen riding her bicycle on campus; she even bikes to a supermarket downtown to buy groceries. She does everything by herself.

While Ming-zhen was a freshman, she was chosen as a subject for a documentary film. Lin Yu-wen, who was responsible for filming, often saw Ming-zhen riding her bicycle and greeting people with a smile. "This scene touched me so much that I wanted to approach her, to know her, and to record her life." In Lin's documentary, Ming-zhen participates in a sign language contest, participates in recycling drives, paints, and does all the other things that her classmates do.

When she was a sophomore, her class held a reception for incoming freshmen. Ming-zhen volunteered to serve as a coordinator for the event. Although she did not participate in the evening dance party, she helped out by acting as a disk jockey. Yang Wen-ting, one of her classmates, said that Ming-zhen's devotion to the event brought her classmates closer to each other.

Ming-zhen gets along so well with people that almost everyone on campus knows her. She even helps newcomers feel more welcome. Many freshmen are nervous the first time they come to the university, but Ming-zhen talks to them and calms them down with her smile.

"Ming-zhen is adorable. She always wears a smile on her face. She never complains about her disability and never belittles herself," said Zhong Yi-shan, one of her friends from elementary school. Yi-shan admits that she has a lot to learn from Ming-zhen.

Ming-zhen's smile is like a natural spring to everyone on campus, refreshing everyone who meets her. But her positive energy is not limited to helping university students. She also volunteers at Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center. As she does on campus, she uses her smile and physical traits to encourage patients. "A smile is the only thing I can offer as a volunteer," she said humbly.

Ming-zhen was nervous the first time she volunteered at the hospital. She didn't know what kind of patients she would encounter or how to interact with them. But when she put on the volunteer's vest, a sense of mission blossomed inside her. "I saw the words on the old vest, barely visible after years of use. I wondered how many volunteers had worn it before me and how many patients they had served. After putting on the vest, I seemed to feel the expectations the patients had for me."

When she stepped into a ward and saw her first patient, an image of herself as an eight-year-old being treated in the hospital surfaced in her head. "I saw a patient loaded with catheters, a blood-transfusion tube, a breathing mask, and other things. I remembered when all those tubes had been stuck into me. Watching the patient made me relive that suffering again. It was unbearable, physically and mentally, to experience. But then I realized that I had come here to bring them a smile and some happiness. I told myself to hold back my tears and force a smile. If I dwelt on their misery, then my volunteer vest would mean nothing."

Sometimes, Ming-zhen draws upon her own experience as a cancer survivor to comfort patients. For example, she recently encouraged a junior high school boy suffering with cancer at Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center. "I went through chemotherapy too," she said in a reassuring voice. "I was constantly losing my hair. This is something you have to experience from the chemotherapy, so you have to hold on."

Other times, her smile is the only comfort she can provide. "There was once a woman in her forties who had suffered two strokes. She could barely move any part of her body. Her husband and mother-in-law took care of her day and night. I couldn't do anything for these people but smile."

Ming-zhen humbly admits that she has learned much from experienced volunteers, but the deepest lessons have come from the patients themselves. "As a volunteer in the hospital, I've seen love between friends, among family members, and between men and women. Seeing this has allowed me to realize how fragile and impermanent life can be. I don't want to take my life for granted. If I'm not careful, I might lose what I have."

Ming-zhen received a lot of love, support and assistance to overcome the challenges that faced her in the past. She thanks heaven and her parents for every moment she has. She feels very blessed. She believes that heaven has given her a special body to walk down a special road. She will keep on serving as an inspiration and helping others through their own challenges.

She reflects, "As I was fortunate to have received help in the past, so now I'm very fortunate to become a giver." She has never forgotten that many years ago she once compared herself to a withering leaf. However, this leaf has not withered with time but has become greener and brighter.　

The little leaf has been very fortunate. The sunlight has accompanied it through the winter and the strong branch hasn't abandoned it either. The leaf wants to thank the tree for support and the sun for warmth, but it doesn't know how to repay them. Therefore, it is working diligently, passing warmth and strength on to others, helping them weather the difficult seasons in their own lives.