Visionary comic

After becoming a part-time comedian, Gao started to use the stage name Heideng (roughly translates as "the darkening of light") as the deterioration of his sight is like the gradual dimming of a light. He started to notice that he was losing his vision severely in 2009 when he graduated from Suzhou University of Science and Technology. Initially, he refused to accept the cruel situation. He got a job and after several months, he found that he could not handle the work like everybody else in his office because of his visual impairment.

"Back then, the first idea that came to my mind was that I should quit the job before other people noticed my sight problem," he recalls.

After that, Gao flitted from one job to another to "escape reality "until 2013, when he could use the computer more efficiently with the help of special programs and equipment that are designed to help people overcome challenges. Consequently, he got the courage to be frank about his visual impairment with his employers and colleagues and found that people didn't care about the problem as he had imagined.

His working ability also helped remove any feelings of inferiority that he had. He tried to become mentally stronger to accept reality and get his life back on track.

However, it is also a fact that patients of the rare eye disease have to keep re-adapting to lower levels of sight throughout their lifetimes.