(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa has benefited tens of millions of practitioners in China with improved mental health and physical well-being, but the persecution imposed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has put these practitioners' faith and life at stake.

Below is one family's story of the nationwide suppression of Falun Dafa practitioners in China that has lasted for the past 17 years.

Life with No Hope

My parents died when I was six, leaving me orphaned and in poverty. I went to Northeastern China after growing up, got married and settled down in Heilongjiang Province.

My wife’s legs became disabled and the poverty continued. We were even humiliated for being short of money.

I later developed tuberculosis, had a slipped disc, leg muscle atrophy, anal fistula and coughed up blood for about two years. I often experienced sharp pain in my lower back. One of my legs was as thin as my arm, and I couldn't stand straight. My life was terrible.

If that was not enough, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. We sought help in a local clinic as we couldn't afford treatment at a major hospital. But one incision after surgery didn't heal and fluid continued to come out. The doctor said that she needed a skin-graft, followed by chemotherapy.

We were in despair. There just seemed no hope in our life.

My Wife's Life Renewed

Someone told my wife about Falun Dafa in 1997. I remember clearly that she obtained a copy of Zhuan Falun on a Friday and began to read it.

The doctor examined her again two days later, preparing for a skin-graft the following day. To his surprise, the incision had healed and no surgery was needed.

I realized that Falun Dafa was extraordinary and sent my wife to group Fa study every day. I thought that this practice was only for curing illnesses, so I didn't go with her. But I overheard what practitioners were reading and learned that the teachings were to help people become better citizens. “This is pretty good,” I thought.

My wife's health recovered through reading the Falun Dafa books and doing the exercises. She didn't need medicine or chemotherapy.

My Life Starts to Improve

Seeing the miracles that my wife experienced, I decided to practice Falun Dafa. I obtained a copy of Zhuan Falun in September 1998, but couldn't read it as I was illiterate and never went to school. However, this didn't stop me and I began to study the book with other practitioners. It wasn't long before I was able to read it all.

All of my ailments disappeared as I continued to do the exercises. Within three months, my legs were working normally and my gray hair turned black. I was healthier than ever. Many people were astonished to see the changes in me.

I began to live a normal life, and even started a business.

Safeguarding My Conscience Through the Persecution

The persecution of Falun Dafa brought great misery to my family. Officials refused to issue my wife, me and my son with an ID card. This made it very difficult for my son to make a living.

Police and officials from the village, township and county harassed me many times, repeatedly demanding that I sign a guarantee statement to denounce my belief.

“No way,” I explained to them, “It's Falun Dafa that has turned me into a healthy person, and then to a businessman who provided job opportunities for others. Don't we all want health and happiness?

I always tell people about Falun Dafa, the persecution, and why Jiang Zemin, the former head of the CCP, should be prosecuted for starting the persecution of Falun Dafa.