By John Sexton and Susan Tart
China.org.cn reporters from Sichuan

Liu Chunyan was at a safety meeting in the office of the coal mine where she worked when the May 12 earthquake struck. She and her colleagues ignored the initial tremor, as they were accustomed to frequent minor earthquakes. It was a tragic mistake, for a few seconds later the full force of the quake left them no chance to escape. Liu Chunyan lay trapped for 24 hours before she was rescued. Her left leg was shattered and had to be amputated above the knee. She was partially paralyzed from the waist down and lost movement in her right foot. Nineteen of the thirty people at the meeting died. More story>>>

Patients take part in an occupational therapy session at a Rehabilitation, Prosthetics and Orthotics Center in Deyang City, Sichuan Province. The center was set up by the Hong Kong Red Cross in June, 2008. [Photo by John Sexton, China.org.cn]