Ge Min (center, front), is thought of as a star in Nantong because of her indomitable efforts to fight her ALS condition. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Ge Min is seen as a hero by locals in Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province, for her resolute fight against the rare and incurable neurological condition affecting her – Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS – a serious nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing progressive loss of muscle control.

The unflagging spirits of Ge, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2016, were lifted even higher recently. That's after she received a special gift on March 7, in the shape of her portrait on a textile leaf – from a care organization in Nantong's Chongchuan district – the day before the International Women's Day.

A close-up of the touching gift, a likeness of Ge Min. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

Back in 2016, Ge launched a mutual assistance platform named Bingyuge for those ALS patients and their families who love writing. As a result, in 2019 the first collection of literary works created by ALS patients and their families was published.

Now, the second collection will come out in April, which includes proses and poems penned by dozens of ALS patients.

The second collection of literary works created by ALS patients and their families is to come out in April. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

All the words were typed out using a device that can detect eye movements. Ge said each work is also accompanied by an audio recording.

Zhou Jun, a volunteer at the organization, placed an order for 500 copies of the book to express his support for the ALS fighters.