In 2003, Zheng Yu suffered a stroke that left her paralyzed in the right side of her body.

A year later, her father died; and the teenager was left feeling desperate and alone.

"When dad died, I thought God had taken everything away from me," Zheng, now 23, told China Daily yesterday.

"But things are so much better now," she said.

One of the reasons for her more positive outlook is that for the past year she has been a regular visitor at her local "Sweet Home" center in Beijing's Auhui community.

"I get so much love here and people are concerned about me," Zheng said.

Before she was told about the center, she rarely left her home, she said.

"I can communicate without worrying about people discriminating against me."

"It's just like being surrounded by members of my family members," she said.

The Auhui Sweet Home is just one of more than 1,400 such centers across Beijing, Zhao Chunluan, head of the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, told a press conference in Beijing yesterday.

Launched by Deng Pufang, Chairman of China Disabled Persons' Federation, the Sweet Home program offers extensive services to help the disabled people in rehabilitation and employment and brings cultural and physical education to needed communities to create an atmosphere of help and assistance.

About 45,000 disabled people from 18 districts and counties throughout the city have benefited from the program, which is wholly funded by the Beijing government, he said.

"By 2010, there will be a Sweet Home center in every sub-district and community," Zhao said.

As well as organizing regular social activities, such as day trips, each Sweet Home center provides its patrons with a rehabilitation program, tailored to their specific requirements, he said.

Zheng's doctor is Jiang Xiaomeng, who said she devised a special program of exercises to help the young woman regain movement in her right hand and also start her walking again.

A year in, and Zheng is delighted with the results.

"I really believe I will be able to walk and write again in the future," she said.

"She is doing a great job, we're all really proud of her," Jiang said.

Another regular at the Auhui center is 52-year-old Cui Zixin, who has suffered from polio since he was a toddler and can walk only with the aid of crutches.

Zheng is so much happier than she was a year ago. "She talks more with other people now and laughs a lot," Cui said.

Zheng said that after the Paralympic Games she will try to get a job as a typist, as she can now type really fast, even if it is only with hand.

"I believe I can live like any other person and feed myself."

(China Daily September 4, 2008)