Sa Ye, who has the congenital condition muscular dystrophy, livestreams mobile games from his home in a mountain village in the city of Xuanwei, in Southwest China’s Yunnan province. [Photo/Xinhua]

His hard work paid off, and he currently has over 400,000 subscribers. They call him "Qizai", which is a humorous play on his "DK-770" nickname. It also happens to be the name of a space-alien dog in the movie CJ7, directed by Hong Kong actor-turned-director Stephen Chow. The canine character has superpowers, much like Sa.

Sa has never mentioned his physical condition while livestreaming, and he has turned down donations from people who learned about his illness. "I hope people come to my broadcasting room just because I'm good at playing games," he says.

Sa is certainly good at gaming. He has mastered one popular tactical shooting game, his avatar running and leaping with great agility. Employing his powers of intense concentration, he continually improved his skills, winning titles in several online e-sport competitions in 2019.

He earned more than 200,000 yuan ($30,380) from livestreaming last year, and is now able to shoulder his family's expenses, including his sister's tuition. He has become more outgoing, often sharing pictures and videos on social media, showing both his game highlights and aspects of his daily life.

The young man has also been invited to share his inspiring and touching stories on a reality show recorded in Beijing.

He does miss his school days, however. "If I had the choice, I would still like to study," he says. "Studying hard leads us onto a broader path with more options."

For Sa, perhaps the greatest lesson has been that perseverance often leads to success, even when the odds are stacked against you.

"Life has its ups and downs, and all you need to do is dream big and never give up," he says.