Australia: David Liang, Whose Right Heel Bone Was Shattered in the South Africa Shooting Incident, Is Quickly Recovering

After about one and a half months' rest, Mr. David Liang, whose feet were injured in the shooting attack against Falun Gong practitioners in South Africa, is now able to walk without crutches. He accepted an interview with a reporter from The Epoch Times.

David Liang standing without the aid of crutches (Photo taken on August 14, 2004)

David's right foot after a period of healing

David's feet after the shooting

Reporter: Hello, David! Now you don't have to use your crutches. Could you please tell us how seriously your feet were injured a month ago?

David: I'm very pleased to answer this question. When I was in South Africa, because my heel bone was shattered, the doctors there said that I had to have my foot amputated. The doctor said, "Because the bone was already crushed, it would be unable to recover." There was no bone but a piece of dead flesh, and the wound was very serious. They said that if I didn't agree to amputation, should the wound become inflamed, it would infect the upper part of my leg and at that stage, I would have to amputate my leg.

Reporter: What the doctor said was really frightening! What did you think at that time?

David: If I followed what the doctor said, I would have already been handicapped now. If I did not practice Falun Gong, I would have no other choice but to follow what the doctor said. However, I do practise Falun Gong. Previously in China, many practitioners encountered car accidents and so on, they were injured more seriously than me, but they did not become handicapped. A practitioner from Shandong whose last name is Xu once came to Sydney and said that his pelvis was smashed in a car accident and his leg was broken. He did not have an operation, but he completely recovered after 2 or 3 months. In my situation, even the best orthopaedist in the world would be unable to set my shattered bone. It was not that I did not want to take the treatment, but it was because the doctor was unable to cure me. I don't want to be handicapped either, therefore I can only believe in our Teacher, the founder of Falun Gong and believe in the mighty power of Falun Dafa. I made up my mind that I would not do the amputation and I came back to Australia.

Reporter: Our readers have all been very concerned about your situation after you went back to Australia. Could you please tell us something about that?

David: After we came back, my fellow practitioners took me to the hospital for a diagnosis so that I could have a hospital record about my injury in the shooting incident, which can serve as evidence to expose the Chinese party's (the Jiang group's) crimes of hiring thugs to assassinate practitioners. But as soon as I arrived at the hospital, the doctors once again suggested that I have an amputation. I had no choice but to leave the hospital. At that time, doctors told me that wounds as serious as mine had a 90% chance of becoming infected and if I did not take treatment right away, once the wounds were infected, I would not only have to lose both of my two legs but my life would also be in danger.

On the next day, my elder sister came here from Hong Kong and once again took me to the hospital. She took me to see a world-class orthopaedist. This time, the orthopaedist did not say that I had to have an amputation, but he suggested putting a piece of iron in my heel. In that case, my ankle would not be able to move in the future. From the medical point of view, it is impossible for the bones to regenerate. In my situation, if a piece of iron were placed in my heel, my foot and lower leg would be permanently fixed at a 90-degree angle and I wouldn't be able to walk normally, no matter what. Besides, it would take me at least two years to recover. I certainly could not agree with that. The best expert is unable to ensure that I wouldn't become permanently disabled, therefore, I left the hospital again. My sister said, "Then we can only have a bet and see whether the expert wins or Falun Gong wins."

Reporter: After you left the hospital, how did your wounds recover?

David: The wounds are healing very quickly. There is no infection at all. Since the day I left the hospital, I started practising the Falun Gong standing exercises and I became better every day. Previously, I had to use a pair of crutches to walk. Now I feel my feet becoming stronger and stronger, so I just put the crutches aside and walk by myself, though I am unable to walk far and can only walk in my home.

Reporter: That is really incredible! Falun Gong is really miraculous! What else do you want to say to our readers?

David: That the fact that my feet were injured is known to the entire world and the seriousness of the injuries is also recorded. It is also absolutely true that my feet have recovered to this stage. I can be a living example, to clarify the truth of Falun Gong. What has happened to me is sufficient to demonstrate that what the Chinese ruling party's TV and newspapers have said in their attacks on Falun Gong are all lies. All their accusations about our Teacher were completely fabricated.

Reporter: Thank you very much! One last question, will you return to South Africa?

David: I don't have any plans currently, but I would go later if there is a need to clarify the facts about Falun Gong there.