"Every day, after returning home from school, Xiao Yimeng feeds her brother, helps him wash his face and feet, and then does her homework while sitting on a small stool. Her brother quietly stays by her side. When it's time for her brother to sleep, Xiao Yimeng helps him lie down, covers him with a blanket, kisses his forehead, and smiles as she watches him drift off to sleep... " Recently, a series of photos of 10-year-old girl Wang Yimeng from Ruichang taking care of her brain-damaged brother alone after the death of her parents has been widely circulated online. In the photos, under dim lighting, the little girl feeds her brother and helps him wash his feet alone.
"Their father passed away on December 20 last year. According to rural customs, the funeral lasted more than a week before being reported. We conducted an investigation and verification as soon as we got the situation, at which point the online post had not yet come out, and then confirmed and processed the documents," Zeng Xiqiu said.
Netizen "Shu Ruo Han" also wrote a poem: Poor children grow up fast, sensible younger sister supports the family. There is true affection in the world, the deep bond between siblings is worth praising!
"She is still young but very sensible. She not only helps her brother get dressed, wash his feet, and change his diapers, but also feeds him," Wang Guozhao told reporters. Due to losing her mother at a young age, Wang Yimeng is much more sensible than other children of her age, "Every kind-hearted person who leaves their contact information, Yimeng will call one by one to thank them," Wang Guozhao said.
"I only have my brother left, I must take good care of him"
Regarding netizens' doubts about the delayed response of the civil affairs department, Director Zeng Xiqiu of the Civil Affairs Bureau of Ruichang City said that before the death of the father of the two siblings, each sibling received 110 yuan per month in low-income assistance. Around January 12, orphan assistance certificates were processed for the two siblings. According to the standard, Wang Yimeng receives 400 yuan per month, and Wang Dingdong receives 500 yuan due to his disability. At the same time, they helped resolve the 8400 yuan medical debt left by the father of the two siblings.
Zeng Xiqiu said that the designated guardian of the two siblings is currently Wang Guozhao. Regarding long-term resettlement arrangements, there was initially a plan to send the two orphans to the dock town nursing home for centralized support, with a standard of 1000 yuan per person per month, including living expenses and caregivers' wages. Currently, the opinion of relatives at home is to send the brother to be supported after the New Year, allowing Yimeng to stay at home and be jointly raised by several families.
On the walls of the house, reporters saw multiple "all-round excellent student" awards received by Wang Yimeng. According to Ke Yuehua, principal of Yadong Hope Primary School in Dock Town, although Wang Yimeng's family is unfortunate, she studies very seriously and every year she is an all-round excellent student and academic role model. "Due to losing her mother at a young age, Yimeng's character is somewhat introverted, and she usually doesn't talk much to classmates. However, under the care and encouragement of teachers and classmates, her character has gradually become more open." In response to Wang Yimeng's family difficulties, the school decided to exempt her from all future tuition fees to ensure that she does not drop out of school due to financial difficulties.
The brother will be sent to the nursing home
Recently, a post titled "Brother, let me be your support" was released and widely reprinted by various forums and websites, gaining nationwide attention from netizens. The post states that when Wang Yimeng was one year old, her mother died of cancer; a month ago, her father also passed away due to stomach bleeding, leaving her and her brain-damaged brother, who is one year older, to depend on each other.
The sister will be jointly raised by several relatives
Helping her brother get dressed, washing his feet, changing his diapers, and feeding him
Netizens: Besides heartache, there is still heartache
"I want to take good care of him"
Wang Yimeng's story of taking care of her brain-damaged brother deeply moved many netizens. Some netizens lamented: "Besides heartache, there is still heartache. Having a brother means having a home, the persistence of the younger sister is touching."
Wang Guozhao helplessly said: "Sending the brother to the nursing home is unavoidable. If he is left at home, our few families cannot take care of him properly, and Yimeng will have greater learning pressure and won't be able to take care of her brother. We hope relevant departments can help find a special education school to send the brother to learn so that he can take care of himself and not become a burden on society."
With the continuous expansion of online influence, a series of spontaneous rescue actions for Yimeng and her brother are underway. Amidst the sympathy, some doubts also arose. Netizen "Smiling Through Life" said: "The two siblings have been orphans for over a month, why hasn't the local relevant department provided assistance? Where are the welfare institutions?"
Liánggōng Village Chief Dǒng Wěifēng said: "In order to give an account to kind-hearted people, the funds will temporarily be supervised by the village committee to make good use of the donations. The siblings' family will manage the passbook, the village committee will manage the password, and money will be withdrawn with a unified seal."
According to Wang Guozhao's introduction, so far, the two siblings have received nearly 120,000 yuan in social donations. Behind the surging tide of love, many netizens expressed their concerns and worries. Netizen "Yòu Jūn" said: How can a minor properly manage the donated funds from kind-hearted people? Why didn't the government take over? Is there a designated guardian?
Before the Dragon Year Spring Festival, the reporter came to Wang Yimeng's home in Liánggōng Village, Dock Town, Ruichang City, Jiangxi Province, and met the two siblings mentioned in the post.
However, Wang Yimeng is not completely "alone" in taking care of her brain-damaged brother as claimed in the post. She has three uncles and two aunts. Yimeng's eldest uncle, Wang Guozhao, who is 58 years old, said that after Wang Yimeng's father passed away, several families took turns cooking and washing clothes for the two siblings. "All our families are farmers, none of us are rich, and we all have elderly and young ones at home, the burdens are not light," Wang Guozhao said.
Orphan assistance certificates have been processed for the two siblings
Local Civil Affairs Bureau
In a room of about 20 square meters, half of it was occupied by farming tools, firewood, and other clutter, while the other half was where the two siblings lived. There was a bed, a wall cabinet, and a desk. When the reporter entered the room, it was almost noon, and Yimeng was feeding her brother Wang Dingdong with a small spoon. Wang Dingdong suffered from acute meningitis at the age of one, and after a persistent fever, he was left with cerebral palsy due to ineffective treatment. He has been unable to speak and cannot take care of himself since then.
"My brother sometimes isn't well-behaved and even hits me. Several wounds on my hands were caused by my brother," Yimeng said while showing her hands to the reporter, which had deep and shallow red scratches. "But I don't blame my brother. Since my parents are gone, I only have my brother left, and I must take good care of him," Yimeng said in a slightly immature voice.
At Wang Yimeng's home, the reporter saw items donated by all sectors of society, including quilts, clothes, rice, cooking oil, and more cash donations. "Many people said they got the news online, visited the two siblings, and left money without giving their names or phone numbers," Wang Guozhao said.
A 10-year-old girl in Jiangxi takes care of her brain-damaged brother after the death of her parents
At Wang Yimeng's home, the reporter saw that the single-story house consisting of a main hall and inner rooms was dilapidated and unpainted inside and out, with exposed bricks and cracks everywhere. The main hall was only piled with some clutter, without tables or chairs. Walking into the inner room, it was found that among the three windows in the room, one was roughly covered with oiled paper, and another had no cover at all. In January in northern Jiangxi, the temperature approaches zero degrees Celsius. In the cold winter, the wind easily penetrates the walls, making the indoor temperature almost as cold as outside.