A Silent Passion

During the meeting, his ears keep shrugging. His face’s muscles tense up. Wei Jingwei seemingly senses what is happening but there is not much he can do about it.

“These uncomfortable movements have accompanied me for over a decade but show no sign of going away,” the first year doctoral student from Tsinghua University says.

He sits on the same side of the table as always. Twelve other members of the Red Cross Society fill the room. They concentrate on their prepared reports, missing his uncommon behavior or pretending to ignore it. Either way, Jingwei really does not mind.

“My tics are way less noticeable now,” the 24-year-old man reassured. “They tend to get milder as I grow older.”

Born in Xifeng, Liaoning Province, he is the only son of a couple who have lived in their hometown for most of their lives. Their only hope is to have their child grow up healthy and with great ability. His name, Jingwei, is taken from a Chinese idiom “jing tian wei di”, meaning the heavens are in alignment, embracing their expectations for the son.

“I grew up listening to all that my mother told me, be it going to bed early and finishing homework on time,” he said, “I suppose that is what made me different than my peers.”

His mother is a biology teacher, and she has always demanded the best from him from an early age. She believes that it will bring out the best in her only child.

Unfortunately, when Jingwei went to secondary school, they found out that he suffers from Tourette Syndrome, referring to a medical condition that can lead to involuntary body motion or sound.

To a teenager, it was difficult to understand what was wrong with you and to make it worse, he couldn't control his actions; he endured teasing from his peers at times when his tics were really bad.

“That was the unhappiest part of my life,” Jingwei recalled.

His parents took him to see numerous doctors and they were told that no medications could stop the tics completely. The only option he has is to take medications daily to control the tics to some extent, but the side effects of the drugs can affect learning.

The side effects, however, will never affect his positive and kind mind.

“Thanks to the support from my parents, who always comfort me, my symptoms have improved over time,” he recalled. “I will soon overcome the hard times.”

His tics are still there, but less frequent. He is now pursuing a doctorate in Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University. He became pride of his hometown for being the only person from Xifeng who earned the highest score in the final exam at his high school, paving his way to one of the top universities in China.

Besides being a straight A student, he is also the head of the student’s branch of the Red Cross Society of Tsinghua University, leading 120 volunteers.

As a young boy growing up in the northeast region of China, he understands the value of hard work and views Yuan Longping, father of hybrid rice, who is regarded as to have helped save millions of people, as source of inspiration. And he says that helping others was his long-time mission.

Despite being occupied by his laborious research work, the young leader devotes one-third of his time to community service. He has been honored as Haidian District Excellent Volunteer and Tsinghua University Five Star Volunteer, among other awards.

He has earned the title “Wei Lao shi” from his team. Laoshi, or teacher, is a term used in China to show deep respect to a person who has great contribution.

“Wei lao shi is a very dedicated and reliable person,” said Shi Kai, Jingwei’s colleague from Department of Thermal Engineering. “We usually discuss on WeChat until midnight how to make our events accessible to more students,”

Jingwei is very much welcome on the team. His strongly identifiable Dongbei dialect and his cute dimple give him irresistible charm.

“As a leader, Wei lao shi is very approachable and helpful,” added Xinhui, Jingwei’s colleague.

The meeting lasted until 11:09 p.m. All were excited about the upcoming blood transfusion event.

That Friday, his passion was rewarded. The website for registering blood donation crashed due to unexpectedly high enrollment of 1,500 registrants. They had expected 700. Their team, under his supervision, recruits the highest number of blood donors at Tsinghua University in the past ten years.

Apart from serving the Red Cross Society, he is a mentor to 60 undergraduate students. In 2014, joining six other Tsinghua undergraduates, he went to Kenya during summer vacation to carry out a program of volunteer work. Not only did they provide educational programs and charitable service for locals, but they also contributed to wildlife protection awareness program and the China-Africa Youth Forum.

“He devotes a lot of time in volunteer work, even more than his laborious research,” joked Yan Ning, a third year doctoral student in Electrical Engineering.

Even though he is highly valued by his peers and others, he is never satisfied with himself.

“I am not good enough, and I know that I need to work harder,” the young 5-foot-7-inch-tall man keeps reminding himself.

The ever-young man who once wondered why he lives with Tourette syndrome, one who cried for suffering insults when he was a kid, one who was shy when seeing strangers, now understands how to make new friends and take care of others. He frequently visits children with autism. Every time he goes there, he finds peace and compassion.

“You should not treat them as victims,” he says, “rather make friends and play with them.”

He believes that being a volunteer keeps him close to the community.

“I have a dream that one day people who engage in volunteer work will no longer be considered noble or sublime, because at that time, both receiving aids and helping others would be taken for granted. People would greet each other with smile, help each other with respect and treat each other with their hearts. This is my dream as a volunteer,” he posted in Red Cross Society’s WeChat group last Christmas.

But while he takes a lead in volunteering, in normal life, he prefers to hide in shadows. During Karaoke nights, he sits back and watches his friends perform. He gets joy from watching them rather than taking part himself.

On the basketball court, he prefers playing defense. (End)