Xiaoming, 16 years old, looks like he's only six or seven.
Doctors say there may be a risk of blindness and paralysis.
The entire family is doing its best to raise the cost for surgery.
According to reports (reporter Huang Tinghui with photography), Xiaoming (a pseudonym) who lives in the Baitashan Community in the Eastern District, is already 16 years old but appears to be a child of six or seven. It is understood that Xiaoming has been affected by a congenital condition called craniopharyngioma which has impacted his physical development. Because of this condition, Xiaoming has been unable to attend school and spends his days at home watching television.
At age seven, his height stopped growing.
Yesterday, I met Xiaoming in a rented apartment on Baitashan Street. From appearance alone, he resembles an average child of seven or eight. However, the birth certificate and household registration provided by Xiaoming’s parents clearly state that he was born in 1995, making him 16 this year. Xiaoming’s father, Mr. Wei, told reporters that Xiaoming was diagnosed with craniopharyngioma at the age of seven, affecting his growth. Since then, his height and body size have barely changed.
Mr. Wei explained that Xiaoming has always been frail since birth, often running fevers and being very thin. When Xiaoming was seven, his parents brought him to Dongguan to work, but within a week of arriving in Dongguan, Xiaoming suddenly lost consciousness. After hospital tests, it was discovered that Xiaoming had a tumor in his brain, and the frequent fevers were due to this craniopharyngioma. To treat Xiaoming’s illness, his parents resigned from their jobs, returned to their hometown to raise money, and then took Xiaoming to various hospitals for treatment.
In 2006, Xiaoming experienced another major coma. Upon waking, his right eye became completely blind. This already impoverished family incurred significant debt treating Xiaoming’s illness. To repay these debts, the couple brought Xiaoming to Zhongshan’s Baitashan area where they worked at a hardware factory and rented a room nearby, staying there for five years.
For five years, only the TV kept him company.
This rented room could be considered Xiaoming’s entire world. Due to his poor health, his parents did not allow him to attend school. However, his parents had to work, so Xiaoming was left alone at home most of the time. Over the years, Xiaoming's left hand and left foot have become increasingly less agile, and he struggles to walk steadily. Watching TV became Xiaoming’s only pastime. Mr. Wei told reporters that over these five years, Xiaoming has become quite introverted.
Because the factory where his parents work is a bit far, Xiaoming must prepare his own lunch. "We prepare meals in the evening for him to reheat in the rice cooker the next day," Xiaoming’s special circumstances forced this impoverished family to purchase several appliances that would otherwise be considered luxuries.
Mr. Wei explained that due to the brain tumor, Xiaoming often feels a burning sensation in his stomach, so he drinks large amounts of water every day, and it must be icy cold. Therefore, they purchased a refrigerator, specifically for making ice water and preserving Xiaoming’s lunch.
There is a risk of full-body paralysis.
It is understood that Xiaoming’s condition is called craniopharyngioma, a common congenital tumor that can affect human development. According to Dr. Liu Qingliang from a certain neurology hospital in Shunde who once treated Xiaoming, Xiaoming’s condition is not common and has persisted for a long time. There are risks of blindness and paralysis ahead. However, surgery to remove the tumor also carries significant risks.
Xiaoming’s parents expressed that as long as there is a glimmer of hope, they will try. However, it is learned that the cost of surgery is at least 50,000 yuan, and the debts previously incurred by Xiaoming’s parents have yet to be repaid. They are currently striving hard to raise the funds for the surgery. It is understood that the Baitashan community is also helping Xiaoming apply for subsidies from the Red Cross, but there is still a gap between the amount needed for the surgery.
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