Blind Chinese Orphan Overcomes Odds To Become US Aircraft Engineer

Wei Min Patrick was born blind into poverty in Guangxi, southern China, and faced a harsh childhood. After his father died when Patrick was five and his mother disappeared, he was left mostly neglected by his alcoholic grandfather and grandmother. In fact, his grandfather tried to abandon him three times, including pushing him into a lake. He was rescued and placed in an orphanage by age seven, where he gradually lost his remaining sight.

According to South China Morning Post, at the orphanage, an American English teacher recognised Patrick as the child she had been searching for. She adopted him when he was 10 and brought him to live in Alabama with her three biological children. Patrick's adoptive mother treated him equally, teaching independence and sharing household duties. She also homeschooled all the children in language, history, and math, and volunteered to help the homeless and sick.

With her unwavering support, Patrick completed secondary school and earned degrees in piano performance and aerospace engineering. Studying piano blind meant memorising every note and key. His engineering professors called him an exceptional student who never used blindness as an excuse. He learnt to visualise aircraft structures mentally to excel in his studies.

Today, Patrick works as an aerospace engineer at Airbus and aspires to join NASA one day. Passionate about parachuting, he shares his story to inspire others, showing that blindness need not limit one's future, as per SCMP.

In recent years, Patrick has returned to China multiple times, visiting cities like Shanghai, Beihai, and Guilin, and enjoying local food and culture. He is learning Chinese and hopes to visit China annually. Though not seeking his birth parents, he has submitted DNA to Guangxi police in hopes of finding his older sister.

Patrick's inspiring journey has resonated widely on social media. Fans call his adoptive parents "angels" and praise his determination to overcome hardships, encouraging others to keep pursuing their dreams.