(ECNS) -- Former JD.com vice president Cai Lei, now battling advanced ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), said on Thursday night he continues to lead his team and handle research tasks efficiently despite losing the ability to speak or move.
His wife, Duan Rui, revealed a few days ago that his condition had deteriorated a lot: He could utter a few words earlier this year, but now he has completely lost the ability to speak; he can no longer move his arms, legs, or neck, and needs full assistance to stand, he can only take small amounts of liquid food and may eventually need a gastrostomy for nutrition.
Cai posted on Weibo Thursday night that despite being paralyzed and unable to speak, he will continue to lead his team and handle research and other tasks efficiently using eye-control technology.
Cai's assistant, surnamed Chen, said that Cai relies on an eye-tracking device to type and communicate in daily life, and that he types quite fast — dozens of characters a minute.
Although his workload has reduced due to fatigue from eye-typing and limited sitting tolerance, Chen emphasized that his mind remains razor-sharp and he actively participates in online research meetings.
Cai launched the "Rare Disease Care Initiative" and built a large ALS research data platform centered on patients. Thanks to his efforts, China's first ALS pathological research gene sample bank was established, opening a new door for genetic-level research into the disease's causes.
He also announced over 50 million yuan (about $7.01 million) in research funding for hundreds of projects, saying, "Miracles have already happened, and patients who once faced certain death are now surviving. More will continue as AI and life sciences advance."
(By Gong Weiwei)
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