Champa Trinley was born of a peasant’s family in Lhasa, capital of Tibet, in 1954. Healthy and lovely, the baby brought great joy to the family. But when he was six years old, a serious disease made him blind in both eyes.

Despite seeing nothing, Champa learned to do farm work. Every day he worked in the fields like everyone else. Aside from completing what work was assigned him by the production team, he joined the local youth shock brigade and, as a member of the brigade, vied with others in doing dirty and hard work. He created quite a sensation in the local community with his lovable personality.

In 1985, the Tibet Regional Civil Affairs Department sent three disabled youth, selected out of many candidates, to a school in Chengdu, Sichuan province, to learn Braille and massage. One of them was Champa.

All illiterates, the three youth feared failure and felt great pressure. Their classmates were all of Han, who were blind but had no language barrier. They understood what the teachers said. But Champa and his two fellow Tibetans did not have that luxury. They understood little of what their teachers taught and had particular difficulty with medical terms. ”I had a tough time in those days”, Champa conceded. The teacher talked about “bone”, “muscle”, “nerve” and “acupuncture points.” Champa did not have the slightest idea about them. “Muscle”? Was that chicken meat? But how was chicken meat related to massage? He thought of giving up. The teachers learned about their difficulties and began tutoring them. They let the students touch their own muscle and bone when the terms came up. An intelligent man, Champa began making fast progress. “As if, all of a sudden, my mind seemed to brighten up”, he said. Quickly, he became an instructor for his two fellow Tibetan students. Three years quickly passed.

In 1988, Champa and his two fellow graduates were assigned to the acupuncture department of the regional hospital in Lhasa, for one-year internship. In November 1989, Lhasa,s Blind Persons Massage Clinic, invested by the municipal and regional civil affairs departments, opened to business. Champa and his fellow students became the first ethnic Tibetan blind massagers in Tibet who have received professional training. Champa was appointed acting director of the clinic and, in 1994, was made its director.

Since its opening, the clinic has treated countless numbers of patients. Treatments include mainly cupping, electric heating and massage, and diseases treated include periarthritis of the shoulder, strain of lumbar muscles, waist spraining, nervous headache, sciatica, indigestion and stomachache. The clinic now treats more than ten patients a day. Ping Cuo, who was receiving treatment from Champa, says: “I’ve had stomachache for a long time. I used to see doctors practicing Western medicine. Western medicine relies on drugs for treatment. When I took medicine for my headache, I felt pain in the stomach; when I took medicine for my stomachache, I felt pain in the head. Pain has never left me. Later, I have come to Dr. Champa to do massage. Slowly, he has cured my old illness. I am glad that I have my disease cured without taking medicine.”

When Champa was massaging a patient, someone brought him a big pack of books. They are mainly books on traditional Chinese medicine and massage techniques. “I’m writing a paper as part of requirements for my application for a medium-level professional title,” he says. “These are reference materials for my thesis.” Champa, a blind doctor, has a happy family, a successful career and a steady income. Almost 50 years old, he will retire in a few years. But he continues to study hard. He has an admirable attitude toward life.

Champa explains: “I’m indeed accused of trying to ‘gild myself with gold’. But, truth to tell, I am applying for the professional title not for the sake of vainglory. I am going to retire in a few years; it is not necessary for me to seek a vain title. At present, we disabled people encounter a lot of difficulties when applying for professional titles. For example, no allowances are made for the disabled in terms of schooling requirement. For a disabled person to apply for a medium-level professional title, he or she needs to have had a minimum undergraduate schooling at an institution of higher learning. I want to set an example for my disabled friends by winning a professional title through hard work. On the other hand, I really hope that my case would help relevant government departments adopt favorable policies for disabled people with regard to the professional title issue, so that my disabled friends with expertise receive a fair treatment. This is the purpose of my applying for a professional title.”

His colleagues say Champa, their director, is particularly hardworking. His office is stacked with Braille and medical books, such as Braille Monthly and Massage Techniques of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Constant use has made many of the books threadbare. In Tibet, Lhasa as well, there are not many blind doctors who understand Braille, have managerial skills, speak both Tibetan and Han languages and have had long experience in medical practices. With his action, Champa has set an example for his disabled friends in Tibet.

Champa,s clinic has an auxiliary building with a floor space of 1,300 square meters, which is used for business. That is why people also call him “boss.” Under him are two blind doctors, an accountant, a driver and a doorkeeper. They all recognize that Champa is their indisputable leader. He has accomplished what a normal person may not have accomplished, they agree.

People often assume that blind persons always wear a sad, dumb expression. For Champa Trinley, the reverse is true. He always has a broad smile, making him look younger than he actually is. When asked what difficulty in his life that he feels hard to overcome, he says: “I’ve been blind since childhood. I can do everything well. I haven’t met with an insurmountable difficulty.” Champa’s experience and spirit is also an inspiration for healthy people. No wonder that he has been elected vice-president of the Tibetan Blind Persons Association and was also a Tibet representative for the first and second conferences of the China Disabled Persons, Federation.