China woman, 33, marries severely disabled man, 30, after meeting online, baby on the way

The happy couple staged an elaborate wedding ceremony with 80 tables of guests. Photo: Weibo

• Man suffers from a rare genetic disorder, can only move head and thumbs, woman loves his spirit, intelligence

A woman from China married a man with a rare disease, just a few months after the couple met online, because she was captivated by his optimism and intelligence.

The woman, nicknamed Lulu, 33, moved 1,600km from her hometown in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, to 30-year-old Qichen's home in eastern China's Anhui province, to be with him.

Qichen was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) when he was seven years old. The genetic disorder is characterised by progressive muscle loss, gradually leading to difficulties with movement and breathing.

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Doctor's said he was unlikely to live beyond the age of 18, but he has defied their predictions, and also found love.

Qichen and Lulu made contact in January in the comments section of a Douyin video with the title, "Can disabled people find love?" Lulu commented with a firm "yes", and Qichen reached out to her.

Lulu said she had recently divorced and was feeling depressed because she had to return to her home to her parents who preferred boys over girls and did not love her.

She said Qichen comforted and encouraged her "like the warm sun".

Lulu soon travelled to Anhui to meet Qichen, and admits she was shocked when she first saw him because he can only move his head and thumbs.

But she said she chose to continue with their relationship because she was attracted to his positive attitude and his intelligence.

The couple registered their marriage in March, and Lulu is now four months pregnant.

On their big day on June 25 they had 80 tables of guests. It was a grand wedding even by Chinese standards, which usually have up to 50 tables for the wedding feast.

Lulu said Qichen's family treat her like she is their daughter and Qichen's mother said at the wedding: "I will make it up to you with my love for whatever my son is not capable of doing."

Qichen said: "I didn't believe I could find love with somebody like this. I am the luckiest person in the world."

Qichen's family runs a business selling medicinal herbs via his Douyin account, which has 100,000 followers. He said he will continue promoting products online to give Lulu and the baby a good life.

He said his condition is a result of genetic mutation and could not be passed onto the baby.

Mainland online observers have sent their blessings.

"Best wishes to the new couple. There is true love in this world," one person said on Douyin.

"Life is too short to care about what others think. We should all do what we want to do freely," another said.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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