Photo description: Whenever Xuanxuan cries, her father Zhang Zongwei will pick up his daughter and sing to make her happy. Photo description: Netizens posted online photos of Dad feeding Xuanxuan. Photo description: Due to the effects of illness, Xuanxuan often cries loudly. Photo description: In order to raise medical expenses, every night Xuanxuan's father Zhang Zongwei begs for help from kind-hearted people.
Reported by reporters Qiao Li and Cao Lei from Oriental Network on July 6: Congenital biliary atresia, unable to secrete bile, requiring a liver transplant... Such pain happened to a cute baby girl named Xuanxuan who is only 1 year and 2 months old. Recently, reporters from Oriental Network visited Renji Hospital in Shanghai where Xuanxuan was staying. The outside world was bright and hot, but inside the ward, it was pale. At that moment, the yellowish and thin girl lying on the bed slept soundly as if there was no pain at all, but her parents beside her were full of heartache and anxiety. For medical expenses, this "post-85" young family had already accumulated heavy debts, and the helpless father could only choose to beg on the street.
The 1-year-old baby girl weighs only 14 pounds
On the 11th bed of the liver transplantation center on the 14th floor of the surgical building at Renji Hospital, reporters from Oriental Network met little Xuanxuan. Her skin was very yellow, her body was thin, but her belly was swollen. The child's mother told reporters from Oriental Network that due to the inability to absorb nutrients, the child's weight has not increased since she was 6 months old. Although she is already 14 months old, her weight is only 7 kilograms.
The young mother standing in front of us with big eyes is only 22 years old. During the conversation with the reporter, she would occasionally talk about some interesting things about her child, with a smile on her face, "My baby is really cute when she is awake, and she looks beautiful when she laughs." But when talking about the suffering of the child, it can be seen that she is trying hard to hold back her sadness, "She is too thin, even blood tests are difficult. Sometimes when she gets an injection, she cries and I cry along with her."
And the child's father Zhang Zongwei told reporters from Oriental Network that the child's current condition is still quite serious, one reaction being very easily excited. "She doesn't sleep until after 12 o'clock every night, gets up at 5 in the morning, and likes to scream nonstop, feeling like she's overworking herself."
Since she was four months old, they have been constantly seeking treatment
Mr. and Mrs. Zhang got married in 2009, and Xuanxuan is their first child. They met while working in Shenzhen, and after getting married, they returned home to run a small shop selling digital products. "Originally, our family was considered middle-class locally. Although we weren't particularly wealthy, we were still very happy."
But in September 2010, the couple noticed that their daughter, who was just four months old, began to develop a yellowish complexion and eyes, thus starting their journey of seeking medical care. From the county health center at the beginning, to hospitals in Mianyang, Chengdu, Chongqing, they took their child everywhere. The disease was not cured, and the child became thinner day by day. It wasn't until Chongqing that Xuanxuan's condition was diagnosed - she suffered from biliary atresia, which had now progressed to late-stage liver cirrhosis, requiring a liver transplant surgery. On the evening of June 25, the couple brought their last hope and borrowed 20,000 yuan, and came to Renji Hospital in Shanghai with their daughter.
"My daughter hasn't had a single good day since she was more than 40 days old," sighed Xuanxuan's father Zhang Zongwei. Since the birth of the child, this family has had only one goal: to cure the child's disease. "In the past, we had many aspirations, hoping to earn more money and live better lives, but now, our only dream is to raise our child to adulthood."
"Some friends suggested we abandon our child"
They said that their combined monthly income was only more than 3,000 yuan, and the previous examinations and treatments had already cost nearly 100,000 yuan. And the current surgery fee of around 130,000 yuan has left them breathless. To raise funds, the child's grandfather far away in Mianyang went to work on construction sites to earn money.
"In fact, in our hometown, there were people who suggested we abandon our child. But how could I do such a thing!" Speaking of this, Xuanxuan's mother's eyes reddened. Because the father was overweight and did not meet the liver donation requirements, she decided without hesitation to donate part of her liver to her beloved daughter, and has already completed the pre-surgery related checks. After making this decision, the elders far away in Sichuan strongly opposed it, and both parties persuaded them. "They worry about me, I know it will affect my health, but I hope to save my daughter."
During the conversation, little Xuanxuan woke up, seeing strangers in the ward, she immediately burst into tears. The mother beside her said that every time the child sees a stranger, she cries, and the reason breaks hearts, "Because she spends all her time in the hospital, she thinks strangers will give her injections or draw blood, and she's so scared."
No way to raise money, the father takes to the streets to beg
As there was no way to raise money, the child's father decided to take to the streets to beg. He made a cardboard sign himself, writing down Xuanxuan's condition. But how difficult it was to take this step. The first time he begged, Zhang Zongwei sat stiffly by the roadside for a long time, hiding the cardboard sign, afraid of being seen by others. "But later I thought it through, as long as it helps save my daughter a little, I am willing to do anything."
However, these days, Zhang Zongwei has not gained much. Sometimes he earns nothing in a day. "Many people don't believe me, and some scold me, saying why should I come out to cheat when I'm young enough to do other things." Actually, at first, he wanted to bring Xuanxuan with him. "But the child catches colds easily, and it's too hot outside. She can't handle the temperature changes."
Many families of sick children give up treatment due to costs
Oriental Network consulted with the hospital side, and Song Yu, assistant director of the Liver Transplant Center at Renji Hospital, stated that Xuanxuan's current condition is still relatively stable and suitable for a transplant surgery. As the center is one of the best hospitals in China currently performing liver transplants including pediatric living donor liver transplants, Xuanxuan's situation is still optimistic.
However, Dr. Song frankly admitted that during the treatment process, they encountered many similar cases of children, and many families ultimately chose to abandon treatment, with only one reason: the economic burden was too heavy. Because even after the surgery is successful, the subsequent examination fees and medication costs are also a considerable amount. "Even if everything stabilizes, the basic annual medication cost is still around 20,000 yuan, and some children may need even more."
After understanding Xuanxuan's family situation, the hospital decided to try to control and reduce medical expenses as much as possible, and contacted charitable organizations in society, hoping to help Xuanxuan.
Netizens have already taken action!
In fact, the earliest people to know about Xuanxuan's story were a group of enthusiastic netizens from Mianyang, Sichuan. They posted an initiative on the Sichuan Online Forum, established a QQ group for rescuing little Xuanxuan, and posted messages on well-known domestic forums such as Baidu Tieba and Tianya, hoping more people would see it and raise funds.
Before the article was published, Lao He, the contact person of the rescue Xuanxuan QQ group in Shanghai, got in touch with the reporter from Oriental Network. He said that through the kindness of netizens, more than 20,000 yuan in donations had been raised these days. He hopes everyone can join hands to help this adorable little girl overcome the difficulties in her life.
Just as the initiative letter says, the help from kind-hearted people will be like spring breeze, sending the warmest sunshine to Xuanxuan's family, and igniting the hope in their hearts like a spark. Not asking for anything else, only hoping the child can recover and grow up healthy!
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