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March 17, 2015

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Home » District » Songjiang

Her hands compensate for eyesight loss

Jin Meijuan, 45, sees a bright future even though she has been blind most of her life. She’s a masseuse with two muscular arms.

“My hands are what I’m living on,” she said, with a timid smile.

Jin lost most of her eyesight in an accident at the age of five, when she slipped into a pool of ammonia. She was rescued in time to save her life, but the effects of the mishap meant she couldn’t go to school.

For years, she worked at a rubber factory in Zhangze Town, but heated vapors in the plant worsened her health. Eventually, she couldn’t work there any longer.

Undaunted, Jin applied for a one-year massage course with the help of the local association for disabled people.

She quickly mastered the art of guasha, or scraping the neck, chest or back to relieve pains, fire cupping and acupuncture. After one year, she successfully obtained an intermediate certificate of massage.

Last June, Jin decided to open her own massage parlor. With her own savings and money borrowed from her sister, she finally became her own boss.

The first two months after the opening were the hardest, Jin said. Running a business proved trying, and she lost more than 10 kilograms. She survived on strong support from her family, the disabled persons’ association and her clients.

“I’ve now got almost 250 fans in my cell phone,” she said. “They love my massage service.”

Now that the business is humming along, Jin has more free time. Every Tuesday and Thursday, she offers free massages for the elderly in the nearby communities.

“I’m so glad that I can give something back to society,” she said.




 

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