This video clip shows Zhang Yan Yan, a Beijinger in her 40s, going to the hospital for a mammogram.

Zhang was born with disease that caused her bones to constantly break. She was never allowed to go to school. Instead she stayed in her grandma's house, marking her maturation with a series of painful surgeries and teaching herself to speak Japanese and to cross stitch.

Today, Zhang lives with her mother. She enjoys some minor renown for her cross stitch work which copies famous artworks such as the Mona Lisa and portrays nude lovers in various states of entanglement.

I met Zhang while working on a Paralympics preview story about life for disabled Beijingers. It was random chance that I went to the hospital with her that day. I didn't fully understand why we were there until I saw the mammography sign.

The doctor said he saw some abnormalities, and said she should be admitted to the hospital for further testing. I hoped to ask her about her diagnosis, but I never had the chance.

After the exam, the hospital's propaganda office dispatched a woman to accompany us back to Zhang's house. This minder soon called someone from Zhang's neighborhood work unit to join us. Together those two women talked over and disrupted every one of my shots.

Zhang grew more and more agitated. After 20 minutes of this, she began to offer the shortest of answers. So we left, intending to connect with her later when the minders were gone. Unfortunately, she was too intimidated to meet us again. I do not know her current health condition.