Cover image via Douyin
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Li Xia, 36, lives in Chongqing and operates a successful smart farm start-up.
What makes his story extraordinary is that he does it all while using a ventilator, with only one finger and one toe capable of movement.
Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age 5, Li turned to self-taught programming as his primary connection to the outside world.
He was first fascinated by physics and computer science at age 25. Every concept in the textbooks his younger sister brought home intrigued him, and he read them over and over again.
He spent years studying computer science textbooks and browsing online forums.
In 2021, following a coma and a tracheotomy, Li decided to merge Internet of Things (IoT) technology with modern agriculture
Using a virtual keyboard, he developed a comprehensive smart control system for soilless cultivation, hardware, and sensors.
Li is the brains of the operation, but his mother, Wu Dimei, acts as his physical hands.
Since Li's parents divorced in 2017, his mother has served as his primary caregiver, technician, and collaborator.
Under his precise guidance, she learned how to solder control boards, set up network wiring, and maintain farming equipment.
"My mum is now capable of doing everything. Even though she does not understand the theory, she knows exactly how to connect the wires and install everything," Li said.
This collaboration between a son's intellect and a mother's devotion has transformed their lives into a high-tech success story
The farm is now profitable and grows crops like cherry tomatoes, lettuce, and herbs.
His journey has captured the hearts of millions on social media, with many describing it as proof of "limitless possibilities".
For Li, the technology represents a hard-won independence from his physical constraints.
Li is now looking to further diversify his agricultural offerings
The determination shown by Li, who remains reliant on a ventilator, moved people across China.
