From the adversity, however, has sprung happiness after successful liver transplants and meeting each other during treatment three years ago in the same hospital.

"We never expected to lead such a happy life, living as normal people with a marriage and jobs," the newly married couple said.

Liver transplant is more difficult than other body organ transplants, said Jiang Yi, the doctor in charge of the case in a military hospital in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province. Only a few hospitals can handle such cases in China and the success rate is very low. A one-year survival rate is only 30 percent.

In the case of Yang and Wu, love proved to be a great healer, helping them recover and lead a normal life three years later, Jiang said.

Their love story, like many others, seems arranged by destiny.

They lived far away from each other -- bridegroom Yang Shuimu in a village in east China's Fujian Province and bride Wu Fangqin in Xiantao City of central China's Hubei Province. He was a peasant. She was an English teacher in a middle school.

But they shared one thing -- deadly liver disease -- which led to their meeting in the hospital in Fuzhou as the hospital's first two patients ready for liver transplant.

Livers donated by the relatives of two people killed in traffic accidents were transplanted into their bodies on Dec. 24, 1999 and March 24, 2000 respectively.

During the past 1,000 days, they stayed together in an isolated district for patients with serious diseases.

Always a teacher, Wu likes lecturing. Yang, a little introverted, makes a good listener to all her topics, which include ways to sum up courage in recovery, the importance of taking medicines on time and keeping balanced nutrition.

Yang silently did the housework without complaint, fetching water or mopping floors.

"I once stayed in bed not feeling well, and he sat at the bedside all day, serving me with water or medicine. What touched me most was that he washed the clothes I changed out of without telling me," Wu recalled.

During the past Spring Festival holiday, the couple got married after the hospital confirmed they were both in stable condition and that marriage would not affect their health.

"He works in the hospital as a security guard now and I am preparing to open a store and have a baby in the future," Wu said in a clear voice. Years before, the disease made her tremble, unable to stand still or speak clearly.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2003)