Ding Zhaodi, a 43-year-old worker at the No. 2 Construction Company in Jiangxi Province, used to have a happy family. But after she started to practice Falun Gong in 1996, she became so addicted to it that she shirked her family responsibilities altogether.
Not only did she practice Falun Gong herself, but she also asked her two younger sisters to join her. In order to see Li Hongzhi in person, in August 1998 the three sisters flew to Singapore at their own expense to attend a lecture given by him. In September 1998, Ding caught a cold. She refused to see a doctor or take any medication but put all her energy into practicing Falun Gong.
Ding's daughter Hu Weina said that her mother coughed continually, and finally became very emaciated.
Ding's illness became more and more serious, but she turned a deaf ear to her family members when they urged her to seek medical treatment. She believed that Falun Gong would dispel all adversities and Li Hongzhi would protect her. In January 1999, she died.
Said Hu Weina: "Before, Mom was very kind to me. But after she took up Falun Gong, she would spend the whole evening watching Falun Gong videos or listening to tapes. She would not ask about me or check my homework, Falun Gong ruined my family. Now our family has only Dad and me, and it is not like a family."
Ding's death brought her two sisters to their senses. Not only have they cut all ties with Falun Gong, but they also use their experience to persuade other Falun Gong practitioners to abandon it too.
