By Alice Yan

Copyright scmp

A young man from southern China, who has endured brain haemorrhages three times that led to his partial paralysis, has transformed his disability into comedy and life inspiration through his short videos, winning the hearts of many internet users.
Yang Tiejun, 26, who lives in Huizhou, Guangdong province, has amassed a total of 600,000 followers on two leading mainland social media platforms, as reported by the South Metropolis News.
“Hello, I am your human whisk, human electric toothbrush, and human fascia gun,” Yang often humorously self-mocks in his videos, referring to his physical feature that causes his left arm to shake uncontrollably at a high frequency.
Once a healthy student with a talent for track and field sports, Yang was first struck by a brain haemorrhage at the age of 17 after hours spent playing online games. He suddenly fainted and awoke five days later.

“I believe I have this problem because I tend to become emotional,” he stated.
The condition, which involved 40ml of bleeding at the time, did not leave him with serious aftereffects, other than limiting his ability to participate in many sports.
He suffered a second haemorrhage in 2019 after completing a mountain climb, with the bleeding measured at a lower volume of 20ml.
The third episode occurred in 2020 when he suddenly collapsed at work, resulting in devastating bleeding of 45 ml.
“It is a miracle that I survived after three cerebral haemorrhages,” Yang remarked. “The left side of my body is almost numb. My left arm shakes fiercely when I exert strength, and I experience muscular dystrophy in my left leg.”
“I do not face other problems; the main challenge lies in the psychological aspect. I felt depressed and inferior because I could not control my left arm from trembling,” he admitted.

Yang gradually emerged from his psychological shadow after starting a street vending business in 2022, which required him to engage in conversation with his customers.
“Many people asked why my arm looks like that. I simply explained that it was due to brain haemorrhages. Eventually, I could confront my disability,” Yang shared.
At the beginning of this year, he began posting videos on social media, aiming to raise awareness about the welfare rights of disabled individuals granted by the authorities.
However, he did not expect that some internet users would suggest he create humorous clips based on his arm problem, recognising his “optimistic mindset.”
Taking his followers’ suggestions to heart, Yang produced a series of videos showing himself using his left hand to play guitar, beat eggs, strike the wooden fish, brush his teeth, and apply make-up, among other activities.

He usually concludes these videos with laughter at his clumsy attempts and the comical outcomes.
“Thank you all for your encouragement. Your teasing comments are also welcome. Without your suggestions, I wouldn’t have thought of those creative performance ideas,” Yang expressed.
“I admire his strong personality. I hope society can support him in thriving in his own way,” one internet user commented on Yang’s story.
Another person praised him, stating: “An optimistic person will always shine.”