Born blind, abandoned in rural China: the grandfather who tried to drown him, and the life he built as an American aircraft engineer.
Wei Min Patrick was born blind due to congenital retinal degeneration in a poor village in Guangxi, southern China. He was abandoned on the streets as a child. His father died when he was five, and shortly after, his mother disappeared, leaving him in the care of his grandparents and his older sister. He later found a path to a new life after being adopted by an American family, which opened the door to opportunities he could not have imagined.
In This Article:
The origin of hardship: disability, poverty, and family losses
Born with congenital retinal degeneration, Wei grew up in a poor village in Guangxi. His father died when he was five, and his mother disappeared soon after. With the loss of his parents, the burden fell to his grandparents and his older sister, shaping a childhood defined by vulnerability and resilience.
A new life in America: education and engineering
Wei Min Patrick was adopted by an American family, which opened the door to a different world. He earned degrees in piano performance and engineering, then built a career as an aircraft engineer. Now based in Alabama, he continues to pursue excellence while sharing his story.
Three abandonments and a rescue: the lake, the orphanage, the turnaround
In a video posted on mainland social media, Patrick recounts how his biological grandfather tried to abandon him three times. The final attempt involved being pushed into a lake before he was rescued and taken to an orphanage. Those early traumas were the tests that shaped his remarkable resilience and later success.
Takeaways: opportunity, cross-cultural connection, and perseverance
Wei's journey shows what is possible when opportunity, education, and care converge. It highlights the impact of cross-cultural adoption and the human capacity to transform hardship into achievement. Today he lives in Alabama, working as an aircraft engineer and continuing to inspire others with his story.
