CHINA—On October 28, Wuhan Evening News held a 10,000-person “spouse-wanted” gathering at Liberation Park in Hankou City. Lu Jiarui, 27 years old and 3 feet, 10 inches tall, went to the gathering to look for her dream spouse.
The Wuhan Evening News reported that Lu Jiarui was born in Jilin City, Jilin Province, in 1980. At birth, she weighed 6 pounds, 10 ounces. By 3 years old, however, she had grown to only 28 inches tall. Her parents took Lu to more than ten hospitals in cities that included Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin.
Complications at Birth Made Lu Dwarfish
A hospital diagnosed Lu with pituitary dwarfism. Doctors concluded that because Lu had put her hands over her head when she was born, her hands pressed on her pituitary, resulting in pituitary dwarfism. It was thought that she could only grow taller by taking human growth hormones.
After Lu started to take human growth hormones, she suddenly grew 11 inches taller. Her family members used all their savings for the treatment and were left in debt. In addition, she suffered an accidental head injury.
Her doctor expressed concern that she might develop epilepsy from the injury. He told her family that keeping her on the growth hormone might affect her intelligence. So Lu stopped taking the growth hormone, and her height is now 3 feet, 10 inches tall.
Lu’s height interfered with her schooling. When she applied for nursery school, the nursery rejected her because they didn’t want to bear the responsibility of receiving such a small child. Lu’s father, Lu Chengjie, said that Lu’s grades had been good since elementary school, but that whenever she wanted to enter a higher school, she would be frustrated.
What made her upset was that wherever she took entrance exams, people did not let her enter the exam room. They said that she was too young to take the exams. Lu could only enter the exam room accompanied by her teacher. At last, she entered the Department of English in Changchun Normal University.
At the university, because she was too short to see the blackboard when seated, she could only stand in class. Her legs were often swollen after standing for one class. She stood for all the classes during her time at the university and passed the Level 8 English proficiency.
A Strong-Willed Young Woman
Lu’s father said that many people find it hard to believe that Lu has such a positive outlook on her life. While in elementary school and junior high school, she had little confidence in herself. But after attending senior high school and the university, she totally changed and became determined.
At the university, many schoolmates helped her. When she bought meals in the restaurant, her schoolmates helped her swipe her card. But she insisted on washing her clothes by herself.
Lu is a part-time translator in a drug enterprise in Changchun, as she cannot move far away from her parents at present. She also translates for three enterprises in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hangzhou.
Her father was a worker in an ordnance factory in Jilin; her mother was a nurse. They are now both retired. Lu’s brother is 5 feet, 11 inches tall and studies at Tianjin University. Lu’s parents are over 5 feet, 3 inches tall. Sometimes Lu jokes, “It would be great if the height in our family could be inherited!”
Lu Hopes to Marry
Before going to Wuhan, she made efforts to look for a spouse, but she did not find one.
Arriving in Wuhan for the first time, her impression of Wuhan people was that they were smart and warm. There seemed to be many good marriage prospects. At the “spouse-wanted” gathering, she hoped to find her Prince Charming—a college graduate who likes to make progress, is devoted to his work, and cares about others.
Knowing that the Wuhan Evening News was holding the gathering, she hurried there overnight. She entered her personal description on the application form: “My English name is Crystal, which means firm and transparent. I am confident in life and resolute to go forward. I am compassionate, pure, and transparent.”
Lu’s father watched affectionately as his daughter filled out the application form. He said that he hoped his daughter could find a person in Wuhan who could understand her. Even if she does not find one, he said, the experience would still be beneficial.
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