By Tang Xiao’an, Li Mo & Wu Chunxin

Perhaps there is no Superman coming to save Zhang Dingyu, a 57-year-old doctor with an incurable disease. But over the past month, he has become a Superman for many people in Wuhan, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Zhang Dingyu is the president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, one of the city’s designated hospitals to admit patients infected with the new virus. He has spent the past 30 days treating patients since the first COVID-19 patients arrived at his hospital.

Zhang knows his clock is ticking. With amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he will progressively lose muscle strength and eventually become paralyzed and unable to speak, move, swallow or breathe. His legs have recently been rendered powerless. He has to clutch at the handrail as he slowly makes his way up and down the stairs.

As president of the Hospital, one of the major battlefields of the epidemic, Zhang and his hundreds of colleagues have been on the frontline fighting against the novel coronavirus, and racing against time to treat critically ill patients.

我必須跑得更快，才能跑贏時(shí)間；我必須跑得更快，才能從病毒手里搶回更多病人

1月26日，大年初二。

自2019年12月29日轉(zhuǎn)入首批7 名新型冠狀病毒感染的肺炎患者以來，武漢市金銀潭醫(yī)院600 多名醫(yī)護(hù)人員，已在抗擊疫情的最前沿奮戰(zhàn)了29 天。

這里是武漢最大的?？苽魅静♂t(yī)院，目前收治的全是轉(zhuǎn)診確診患者。

晚上9 時(shí)，57 歲的院黨委副書記、院長(zhǎng)張定宇帶著疲憊，一瘸一拐走向我們。手機(jī)鈴聲處，是他在接打電話，整個(gè)走廊都能聽到他在喊。我們默默地?cái)?shù)著，到張?jiān)洪L(zhǎng)跟我們握手時(shí)，他已經(jīng)接打了6 個(gè)電話。

“全院都曉得我性子急、嗓門大?！睆埗ㄓ钚χ鵀樽约捍驁A場(chǎng)，“性子急，是因?yàn)樯艚o我的時(shí)間不多了?！彼聊艘粫?huì)兒，平靜地提起那個(gè)埋在心里的秘密：“我是一個(gè)漸凍癥患者，雙腿已經(jīng)開始萎縮，全身慢慢都會(huì)失去知覺。我必須跑得更快，才能跑贏時(shí)間，把重要的事情做完；我必須跑得更快，才能從病毒手里搶回更多病人?！?/p>

In the Comprehensive Building of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Zhang Dingyu talking on the walkie talkie (Photo by Ke Hao)在武漢金銀潭醫(yī)院綜合病區(qū)樓，張定宇在聯(lián)系協(xié)調(diào)工作（柯皓 攝）

在疫情中“逆行”的29 天里，張定宇往往凌晨2時(shí)剛躺下，4 時(shí)就得爬起來，接無(wú)數(shù)電話，處理各種突發(fā)事件。就在他日夜撲在一線，為重癥患者搶出生命通道時(shí)，同為醫(yī)務(wù)人員的妻子，卻因新型冠狀病毒感染，在十幾公里外的另一家醫(yī)院接受隔離治療。

身為共產(chǎn)黨員、醫(yī)務(wù)工作者，非常時(shí)期、危急時(shí)刻，必須堅(jiān)決頂上去

1月24日，除夕夜。

當(dāng)晚，張定宇接到通知，解放軍陸軍軍醫(yī)大學(xué)150 人醫(yī)療隊(duì)和上海136 名醫(yī)療隊(duì)都將奔赴金銀潭醫(yī)院。張定宇和團(tuán)隊(duì)受到極大鼓舞?！敖粋€(gè)月，醫(yī)護(hù)人員嚴(yán)重不足。日常狀態(tài)下，護(hù)士2 小時(shí)交接班一次，現(xiàn)在需拉長(zhǎng)至四五小時(shí)，醫(yī)生就更辛苦，嚴(yán)重的體力透支也會(huì)增大感染風(fēng)險(xiǎn)?！卑差D完醫(yī)療隊(duì)住下，已過凌晨3 時(shí)。日歷已悄然翻到1月25日，中國(guó)年的大年初一。

1月26日，兩支醫(yī)療隊(duì)成建制接管該院四個(gè)病區(qū)，截至晚11 時(shí)，接收53 名轉(zhuǎn)診患者。

“還有一批病人要連夜轉(zhuǎn)過來，估計(jì)今天要達(dá)到70 多人。”張定宇從會(huì)議室的窗戶望出去，不遠(yuǎn)處的南樓、北樓和綜合樓，21 個(gè)病區(qū)，燈火通明，650 多名感染者在這里接受治療。

火線48小時(shí)，張定宇兵不卸甲、馬不停蹄?！吧頌楣伯a(chǎn)黨員、醫(yī)務(wù)工作者，非常時(shí)期、危急時(shí)刻，必須不忘初心、勇?lián)姑?，?jiān)決頂上去！”張定宇對(duì)我們說，全院240多名黨員，沒有一個(gè)人遲疑、退縮，全部挺在急難險(xiǎn)重崗位。“有國(guó)家強(qiáng)大的動(dòng)員能力、科技研發(fā)實(shí)力和雄厚的經(jīng)濟(jì)實(shí)力，廣大黨員干部群眾眾志成城，疫情終將被我們戰(zhàn)勝！”張定宇雙眼布滿血絲，但眼神堅(jiān)毅而沉著。

傳染病不是絕癥，當(dāng)前我們最需要的，是消除恐懼

2019年12月，武漢部分醫(yī)療機(jī)構(gòu)陸續(xù)出現(xiàn)不明原因肺炎病人，引起張定宇的高度警惕。

當(dāng)月29日，首批7 名不明原因肺炎患者轉(zhuǎn)入金銀潭醫(yī)院，該院開辟專門病區(qū)。

憑著多年在傳染病領(lǐng)域的臨床經(jīng)驗(yàn)，張定宇感覺這個(gè)病不簡(jiǎn)單。他一邊叮囑醫(yī)務(wù)人員加強(qiáng)防護(hù)，一邊帶領(lǐng)大家采集這7 名病人的支氣管肺泡灌洗液，并送往武漢病毒所進(jìn)行化驗(yàn)?！盀槭裁匆杉闻莨嘞匆海恳?yàn)槲覀儼l(fā)現(xiàn)，一些病人在做咽拭子檢測(cè)的時(shí)候是陰性，但病情卻在持續(xù)加重，肺部CT 異常，我們懷疑病毒已通過下呼吸道進(jìn)入肺泡，果不其然?！睆埗ㄓ钫f，病毒躲在肺泡里，咽喉檢查根本不起作用，但究竟這是一種什么病毒，誰(shuí)也不知道。后來，科學(xué)家團(tuán)隊(duì)從分離樣本中，確認(rèn)這是一種新型冠狀病毒。

On the evening of January 27, Zhang Dingyu coordinating the transfer of critically ill patient (Photo by Ke Hao)1月27日晚，張定宇協(xié)調(diào)危重病人轉(zhuǎn)運(yùn)（柯皓 攝）

In the past week, Zhang went to bed at about 2 am and got up at about 4 am. This has become the 57-year-old doctor’s daily routine.

“I have never encountered such pressure as today,” Zhang said. “For me, ALS is like a sword hanging over my head. I want to make a contribution with the limited time I have left. I try to outrun death, saving time and indeed more patients.”

He added that he has to quicken his pace.

His wife, also a medical worker, was infected with the novel coronavirus and was hospitalized on January 19. Luckily, after medical treatment, she has now recovered.

On December 29, it was foggy in Wuhan, a big city with a population of over 10 million in central China’s Hubei Province. The first batch of seven patients infected with coronavirus were transferred to Zhang’s hospital.

Zhang, an expert in infectious diseases, was on high alert in December when some cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause began to be reported at hospitals in Wuhan. When the first seven patients arrived, the Hospital immediately set aside two separate areas for around 80 patients.

However, the situation was even worse than he imagined. On the second day, he decided to allocate more medical resources and separate wards for more infected patients.

Jinyintan Hospital, a once little-known hospital in Wuhan, has been scented with the odor of disinfectant and undercurrent of uneasiness. The sound of call bells never stopped.

The sense of urgency made Zhang even more short-tempered than usual. He demanded doctors and nurses answer his questions about patients quickly and accurately.

面對(duì)新的病毒，沒有疫苗，也沒有特效藥，大家都在試。治療中，該院醫(yī)護(hù)人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，他們以往用于抗艾滋病的藥物“克力芝”，對(duì)新型冠狀病毒有一定療效。同時(shí)，從一個(gè)輕癥患者居家隔離自愈過程判斷，提高人體免疫力非常重要。

張定宇說：“傳染病不是絕癥，當(dāng)前我們最需要的，是消除恐懼。”

我很內(nèi)疚，我也許是個(gè)好醫(yī)生，但不是個(gè)好丈夫

張定宇的雙腿越來越不給力了，上下樓時(shí)，腿跟凍住了一樣。但每每有人問他腿怎么了，他都擺擺手搪塞說：“我膝關(guān)節(jié)不好?！比簺]有一個(gè)人知道，他一瘸一拐的腳步，緣于漸凍癥的折磨。

這是一種罕見的絕癥，又稱肌萎縮側(cè)索硬化（ALS），無(wú)藥可治。早期，患者可能只是感到有一些無(wú)力、痙攣、容易疲勞。漸漸地，就會(huì)進(jìn)展為全身肌肉萎縮和吞咽困難，直至產(chǎn)生呼吸衰竭。張定宇不告訴別人，是怕影響工作。

他微笑著把身體蜷縮在椅子里說：“你看我現(xiàn)在長(zhǎng)得五大三粗，慢慢地，我會(huì)像這樣縮成小小的一團(tuán)。每個(gè)漸凍病人，都是看著自己一點(diǎn)一點(diǎn)消逝的。”他說，“如果你的生命開始倒計(jì)時(shí)，就會(huì)拼了命去爭(zhēng)分奪秒做一些事！”

當(dāng)我們問到妻子被感染的事情時(shí)，這位硬漢忽然濕了眼眶。

“有天下班我回得很晚，跟愛人談起院里病人的情況，說發(fā)病的時(shí)候會(huì)很喘。她說，我也覺得有些喘。”第二天，她悄悄去醫(yī)院檢查，確診已被感染，隨后入院。張定宇的愛人在武漢市第四醫(yī)院工作，也在疫情防控一線。

分身乏術(shù)的張定宇，有時(shí)忙得三四天都顧不上去看一眼妻子?！拔液軆?nèi)疚，我也許是個(gè)好醫(yī)生，但不是個(gè)好丈夫。我們結(jié)婚28年了，我也害怕，怕她身體扛不過去！”

愿用漸凍的生命，與千千萬(wàn)萬(wàn)白衣衛(wèi)士一起，托起信心與希望

在金銀潭醫(yī)院北樓五病區(qū)主任魏明眼中，張定宇急性子，辦事雷厲風(fēng)行，一旦有困難向他反映，他會(huì)想方設(shè)法，立即解決。“我們這個(gè)病區(qū)剛開時(shí)很缺人手，我一急就給張?jiān)洪L(zhǎng)打電話，他馬上帶著護(hù)理部、后勤科室人員來現(xiàn)場(chǎng)辦公?！?/p>

從武漢市第四醫(yī)院副院長(zhǎng)，到武漢血液中心主任，再到6年前出任金銀潭醫(yī)院院長(zhǎng)，張定宇的白大褂一穿就是幾十年。在抗疫一線，他臨危受命。在災(zāi)情關(guān)頭，他沖鋒在前。

1997年11月，張定宇曾響應(yīng)國(guó)家號(hào)召，隨中國(guó)醫(yī)療隊(duì)出征，援助阿爾及利亞。

2008年5月14日，四川汶川地震第三天，張定宇就帶領(lǐng)湖北省第三醫(yī)療隊(duì)出現(xiàn)在重災(zāi)區(qū)什邡市，全力搶救傷員。

2011年除夕，張定宇在巴基斯坦西北的蒂默加拉醫(yī)院度過，他是湖北第一位“無(wú)國(guó)界醫(yī)生”。那天凌晨，他被一陣電話鈴聲喚醒。一名產(chǎn)婦子宮破裂出血，需緊急搶救。匆匆趕到手術(shù)室，做麻醉，穩(wěn)定病人血液循環(huán)。不到30 分鐘，一個(gè)男嬰呱呱墜地。緊接著，第二臺(tái)剖宮產(chǎn)病人轉(zhuǎn)到手術(shù)臺(tái)，張定宇緊急給產(chǎn)婦做局部麻醉，20 多分鐘，又一個(gè)新生命誕生。時(shí)間已是凌晨4 時(shí)15 分。剛換下工作服，又有一位產(chǎn)婦胎盤早剝、出血，需要緊急剖宮產(chǎn)。輸液、給氧、麻醉、手術(shù)……胎兒終于降生了，卻沒有心跳。他迅速采取心臟按壓、吸引、氣管插管、給氧，一陣忙碌后，手術(shù)室里又一次響起了嬰兒的啼哭聲。

這樣一位施恩于人、充滿大愛的白衣衛(wèi)士，卻總把“感恩”二字掛在嘴邊。

“很感激解放軍和上海醫(yī)療隊(duì)的分擔(dān)，讓我這兩天凌晨1 點(diǎn)就能躺下了，之前有時(shí)候得扛到三四點(diǎn)才能睡?！?/p>

“我愛人雖然感染了病毒，但是很幸運(yùn)，給她用了抗毒藥之后，有效果，我很感恩?！?/p>

“這樣的疫情和災(zāi)難，發(fā)生在其他任何一個(gè)國(guó)家，后果都不可想象。我很感恩，當(dāng)我們?yōu)榱藫尵炔∪瞬活櫼磺校澈笾挝覀兊?，是整個(gè)中國(guó)?！?/p>

疫情還沒發(fā)生前，有空的時(shí)候，張定宇會(huì)去徒步。他說，我很珍惜還能走路的時(shí)間。

On February 18, Cheng Lin, wife of Zhang Dingyu, comes to Jinyintan Hospital to donate plasma. Cheng Lin (second from the right) takes a photo with the medical staff after donation2月18日，武漢市金銀潭醫(yī)院院長(zhǎng)張定宇的夫人程琳來到金銀潭醫(yī)院捐獻(xiàn)血漿。程琳（右二）在捐獻(xiàn)后與醫(yī)護(hù)人員合影留念

而眼下，他要與命運(yùn)叫板，在抗擊疫情的最前沿，用漸凍的生命，與千千萬(wàn)萬(wàn)白衣衛(wèi)士一起，托起信心與希望，托起無(wú)數(shù)人的生命與健康。

“Otherwise he will scold you without mercy,” said Zhang Li, head of a ward in the hospital. “But thanks to his resolute and daring action, medical staff in our hospital are willing to turn to him whenever they face challenges because shorttempered Zhang will figure out a solution.”

On January 23, China locked down Wuhan in an unprecedented effort to curb the spread of the new infectious disease. The city has been at the center of a storm sweeping across the nation.

As one of Wuhan’s designated hospitals to admit patients infected with the new virus, Jinyintan mainly accepted critically ill patients. By 10 am Sunday, the hospital had 581 novel coronavirus patients including more than 200 in serious and critical condition.

On January 24, the eve of the Chinese New Year, 150 medical workers from Army Medical University in Chongqing were sent to the hospital to support its staff.

Till then, Zhang has been on duty every day since December 29.

Zhang never revealed the state of his own illness to his colleagues after he was diagnosed with ALS in 2018. He lied to them, saying he had undergone a knee operation. However, more and more colleagues noticed his strange way of walking down the stairs. He finally admitted his illness after constant inquiries.

“When I first came to know I was a rare disease patient, I was very scared,” Zhang said. “You love life, but imagine one day being told that you don’t have long to live.”

Zhang has researched medical materials about ALS. “I will live another 5 to 10 years, perhaps. Nobody knows. This is why I especially cherish every minute I have, taking a walk, soaking myself in the sunshine or working along with my colleagues,” he said.

Zhang’s illness has touched a nerve for many colleagues. Jia Chunmin, a head nurse in the hospital, couldn’t believe it.

“He actually walks very fast,” she said, recalling Zhang once called her to arrive in a new ward in five minutes. Hanging up the phone, Jia ran fast to the ward, only to find Zhang was already there although his office was farther than hers.

“No one can keep up with him in the battle against the new virus,” Jia said.

In many cases, he sleeps no more than two hours before being woken amid a stream of emergency calls.

After working around the clock for 22 days, Zhang received the bad news that his wife was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus while working at another hospital in Wuhan.

Only after three days of his wife being hospitalized did Zhang find time to visit her, and he only stayed for 30 minutes.

“I feel very guilty. Perhaps I am a good doctor, but not a good husband,” Zhang said. “We have been married for 28 years. I was afraid of losing her.”

Luckily, after medical treatment, Zhang’s wife has now recovered.

It was not the first time for Zhang to stand on the front line over the past 33 years.

In 2008, he led a medical team from Hubei to help victims in southwest China’s Sichuan Province after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake. He was once a member of a Chinese medical team assisting Algeria. In 2011, he worked in a hospital in Pakistan to help local patients.

After the interview, he turns around and hobbles toward the isolation wards, slowly but surely, hoping to outpace the spread of the new virus while he is still able to move.

“Every life has an end. It is a normal thing. We need to accept it and bravely face the reality.” This is what he always says to his family. (Source: Xinhua News Agency & China Daily)