Never giving up hope

Sun Huamao, a member of Wolfpack Emergency Response, evaluates the remaining structure of a building in Mandalay, Myanmar on March 31 after a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit on March 28. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28, resulting in over 3,700 deaths and thousands more injured and trapped. Buildings in the quake zone collapsed like pancakes, significantly hindering rescue efforts.

Despite numerous transportation challenges, including multiple transfer flights and over 10 hours of rough road travel from Yangon to the epicenter, Chinese rescue workers quickly assembled.

On March 31, the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team and Hangzhou-based Wolfpack Emergency Response, serving as advance teams, overcame these difficulties to reach the disaster area, becoming among the first international rescue teams to arrive.

Chen Ying, the only female member of the team, served as a medical doctor, psychological counselor and the team's logistics manager.

During eight days of post-quake rescue efforts, she and her teammates rested only two to three hours a day, participating in the search and rescue in the debris of dozens of buildings and providing invaluable assistance to victims.

Her professional medical skills and sensitive psychological support made her the team's "steady anchor", embodying the dedication of civilian rescue forces.

In Mandalay, a stadium became the headquarters for the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team. The owner of the stadium lost his wife in the earthquake. He offered the venue to assist the rescuers from China in helping more victims of the disaster.

In the relentless 40 C heat, Wolfpack Emergency Response set up rows of mosquito nets so that those who needed sleep could get some.

Wolfpack rescue team member Chen Ying treats the wound of an injured person on March 31. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

However, despite sleeping in these nets, Chen still ended up with hundreds of mosquito bites on her arms and legs.

"I initially thought it was an allergic reaction, but later realized it was just mosquito bites," she said. "It's fine, it doesn't itch, it'll go away soon."

A local Chinese descendant volunteer gave her a bottle of "Thai Golden Oil" after seeing her arms covered in red spots, and this became an essential remedy for Chen during her stay in Mandalay. She used this ointment to help her teammates relieve itching and allergic reactions.

Reflecting on her time in Mandalay, Chen's most "valuable" role was managing access to the team's bathrooms, ensuring that her teammates could shower and use the facilities. After a long day of rescue operations, the male team members would have to clean themselves with a bucket in makeshift showers behind the stadium.

"We dare not annoy Chen, or we'd be without restroom access," joked the rescue team members.

Chen, 50, is a native of Hangzhou and a former outdoor sports enthusiast. Joining the rescue team in 2014 after witnessing a friend's accident she couldn't assist in, she began a life of "working by day, training by night, rescuing on weekends".

She has since obtained more than 20 professional certifications, becoming a versatile member of the team skilled in mountain ropework, diving, structural demolition and emergency medical care.

"There's no gender distinction in the rescue team," is a phrase Chen often says.

During the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, she carried nearly 45 kilograms of disinfection equipment, working tirelessly despite shoulder inflammation, covering a disinfection area of 500,000 square meters.

Wolfpack rescuers look for survivors in a collapsed building on March 31. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

On April 2, at the Sky Villa apartment rescue site in Mandalay, Chen experienced one of the most heartbreaking moments of her career.

The team received a request for help — a young woman was still alive under the rubble of Building 107. After two nights of planning, they were ready with equipment and a demolition plan, but the landlord, fearing further collapse and other unknown reasons, refused their aid.

"We detected life signals, but could only watch her life slip away. The next day, she was found dead, but her body was not yet decayed. This means that if we hadn't been hindered, she might have survived," Chen said, tearing up at the memory.

Despite this sorrow, Chen continued to support both victims and her team emotionally. The Chinese team's professional equipment and experience were crucial for the rescue mission. Chen, acting like a "mother", worried about her teammates' food, sleep and emotional well-being, providing full-body disinfection for them late at night to prevent potential infection risks.

Chen expressed admiration for Wolfpack Emergency Response leader Chen Jianming, whose leadership she and her teammates deeply respected.

"That's why we're called the Wolfpack, and he's our 'Alpha'," she said. Chen Jianming, an artist who loves landscape painting, infused the rescue with a "wolf spirit" — keen, united and never giving up.

"Captain Chen always makes the right decisions in critical moments," Chen Ying said. "He predicts rescue trends years ahead. When others are still on motorcycles, he's already driving a car."

Wolfpack rescuers look for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed building in Mandalay, Myanmar, on April 1. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

Chen Jianming's leadership stems from his practical experience. "He talks based on fact, not theory," Chen Ying recalled, citing his early success in locating missing persons due to his natural sense of terrain.

"In 2015, at the Paojiang training base, he personally demonstrated some skills, showcasing a level of professionalism that amazed me," she said.

Wolfpack Emergency Response now has over 200 members from various industries, functioning like a family, ready to mobilize for missions.

During the Myanmar operation, they brought essential gear such as demolition tools and lighting drones, collaborating with official teams despite road damage and resource shortages, restoring hope to Mandalay's residents.

This mission also garnered local community involvement. The local Chinese Chamber of Commerce volunteered as translators, facilitating communication between rescue teams, officials and residents. Overseas Chinese volunteered under the scorching sun to deliver food and water to the rescue teams, even driving them through damaged roads.

Upon their departure, volunteers eagerly took photos with the team members, forming lasting cross-national friendships in the wake of the catastrophe.

Chen's dedication to rescue work might be rooted in her childhood trauma and family experiences. At 12, she lost her brother to illness and was resented due to the family's gender biases. At 26, a month after her wedding, her father passed away suddenly, leaving her to care for her mother and grandparents.

Sun Zengcheng checks the status of a collapsed building with a flashlight in Mandalay on April 1. WEI XIAOHAO/CHINA DAILY

"I felt like I never had a childhood, but rescue work gave my life meaning," she said. "I wanted to prove to my mother and those who doubted me how capable I am, that a girl can accomplish anything, take care of her family, and help others too.

"In 2018, I hit rock bottom, but the Wolfpack restored my sense of worth. Setbacks aren't scary, losing hope is," Chen said. "Every time I put on my uniform, I feel like I'm armored."

During the May Day holiday, Chen and her teammates re-enacted their earthquake rescue experience as a stage play for students at the Youth Palace in Fuyang, Zhejiang province, sharing disaster preparedness knowledge through art.

"Disasters will pass, but humanitarian spirit remains. As long as one person lights the torch, more will carry the flame." Chen said while gently rubbing on the tree-bark mosquito ointment given by the Mandalay volunteers, determination gleaming in her eyes.

By Yan Dongjie and Wei Xiaohao in Mandalay, Myanmar | China Daily