Chinese quake victim's road to recovery

On the first anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake, the BBC's Quentin Sommerville travels to Dujiangyan to check on the recovery of a boy injured when his school collapsed.

Liang Cheng Yu's father dug him out from under the rubble of his school

A year ago, seven-year-old Liang Cheng Yu lay in terrible pain in a hospital bed.

He was in pretty bad shape, his school had collapsed on top of him. His doctors were considering amputating both his legs.

His father Liang Peng, standing by his bedside, explained how he had dug his son out of the rubble with his bare hands.

"I knew he was on the third floor and he sat in the back row, so I started digging there, then the police and army joined in, and I heard a voice," he recalls

"I said: 'Liang Cheng Yu, is that you?' and he said: 'Dad, help me'."

Twelve months later, I meet Liang Peng in his kitchenware store. He is barely recognisable, looking years younger, with a smile on his face.

It's no exaggeration to say he's a lucky boy. When he arrived, we almost had to amputate his legs Dr Fu Ping

And beside him is his boy, Liang Cheng Yu. Dressed in his best jeans and a denim jacket, he is smiling. Eight years old now, he has grown taller.

"I'm back at school, Monday to Saturday, and on Sundays I have extra classes. I like sports most, because I like to play ping-ping," he says.

When asked about his father, he replies: "He's great... I can't think of the words to describe him."

A sense of routine is important for recovery, say the experts. So Liang Cheng Yu is back learning English. His dad is keeping a close eye on him.

"After my son left the hospital, the doctor told us, don't worry too much about feeding him up, it's more important that he isn't stressed, that he relaxes - that's how he'll recover from the earthquake," says Liang Peng.

His son was treated at the West China hospital. On a normal day it treats over 10,000 patients, making it one of the biggest in the world.

Psychological trauma

Dr Fu Ping is the renal specialist who looked after the boy.

"It's no exaggeration to say he's a lucky boy. When he arrived, we almost had to amputate his legs," he said.

Liang Cheng Yu's father has kept a close eye on his recovery

"But we learnt lessons in the earthquake. For the first time, we had teams of specialists working together - before, only one doctor would treat the patient - and there would be a huge difference in the result," he said.

At the site of Liang Chengyu's school there is only rubble now.

Some 28 of his classmates died there, and many more schoolmates.

Aside from scars across his legs and body, he has made a remarkable physical recovery.

But his mother, Zhang Lin, says his mood has changed.

"I think he still remembers the earthquake, although he never talks about it. When I ask him, his eyes fill up," she said.

"But last night we saw Beichuan middle school on TV, and he told me then he wanted to go back to the school to pay his respects. He had five or six best friends in his class, but only him and one other survived," she said.

Other parents in Beichuan also say their children have changed.

Getting the proper psychological care for earthquake victims, especially children, has been difficult, says Yang Yanchun, vice director of the psychology department of the west China hospital.

"We have a very limited number of psychological professionals, especially in schools and local hospitals. We have been training people, but they're only working part time and it's not enough," she said.

A year on, the cracked and broken buildings around Liang Cheng Yu's home are fast being repaired.

But recovery for Sichuan's children is proving a far more difficult task.