In the aftermath of her shocking accident, Sang Lan became the subject of fascination both in the U.S. and China. While in the hospital Lan was visited by an impressive lineup of celebrities — including Leonardo DiCaprio, Celine Dion, Christopher Reeve, and Al Gore. Thankfully the positive attention seems to have bolstered her spirit to some degree. She told China Daily, “I will never forget the moment Dicaprio appeared in my ward in New York, or the moment I dropped the Times Square ball for New Year’s Eve 1999. Those moments encourage me to strive for a better life. I hope I can walk again, but if not, I can handle it.”
According to Northwest Asian Weekly, Lan finally returned to China in 1999 after 10 months in an American medical facility. At home, she was also widely celebrated and grew very popular. People called her “wheelchair angel” and “the pride of all Chinese,” and in 2004 and 2008, she was given the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch.
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Having become a major celebrity as well as an advocate for the disabled she began working with Nike to fight for good causes. After studying Broadcasting at Peking University, her fame secured her a TV show with the Star TV network.
