Hebei Urban Network Beijing (Beijing correspondent Lijunyong, Yuan Yajing) Little Sun Kai has always been on the readers' minds. Recently, the reporter visited Sun Kai at the Beijing Military Region General Hospital after his surgery. After a successful hematopoietic stem cell transplant, his body has begun to gradually restore its blood-making function. He has now left the sterile cabin and entered a general ward. His father, Sun Wenhui, who is still on bail for holding a Red Cross Foundation staff hostage, is now guarding his son day and night. For all the benefactors who donated to help, Sun Wenhui expressed his gratitude with tears in his eyes.
Last spring, 10-year-old Sun Kai from Cangzhou was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. After spending all the family's savings and borrowing money from neighbors and relatives, the family was left with no way out. Despite being critically ill multiple times and unable to eat for more than 10 days, little Sun Kai kept pulling through. With nowhere else to borrow money from, he left a "will" for his parents, willing to be their son again in the next life.
On March 31st, Sun Wenhui went to the China Red Cross Foundation to apply for assistance but was rejected as aplastic anemia did not fall under the foundation's assistance scope. Out of control, Sun Wenhui held a staff member hostage with a knife. The police successfully rescued the hostage, and Sun Wenhui was detained in a detention center.
After our exclusive report on this incident, it garnered widespread attention. Many readers and netizens donated to help Sun Kai, aiding this family in dire straits.
On April 25th, Sun Wenhui was granted bail and returned to his son Sun Kai's side.
With donations and help from kind-hearted people, Sun Kai was admitted to the Beijing Military Region General Hospital and found a suitable hematopoietic stem cell donor through the Chinese Bone Marrow Bank.
On August 3rd, Sun Kai underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplant surgery. Days later, Sun Kai's white blood cells began to grow, followed by red blood cells and platelets, indicating that Sun Kai's body was gradually restoring its blood-making function.
According to the attending physician, Chen Huiran, Sun Kai will soon be discharged from the hospital. After discharge, he will need regular check-ups at the hospital for some time. It is estimated that in about six months, Sun Kai can return to school.
Sun Wenhui emotionally said, "Thank you to the good people in society. Without your encouragement and help, there would be no Sun Kai today. I wish all the good people in the world a lifetime of peace."
Little Sun Kai: Dreams of returning to school in his hometown
On August 24th, the reporter visited little Sun Kai, who was receiving intravenous fluids, at the hematology department of the Beijing Military Region General Hospital. Due to the phase of gradually restoring blood-making function, Sun Kai sometimes feels pain. When in pain, he speaks very little, lying silently in bed, even covering his face, shedding tears of agony. When feeling slightly better, he talks more, mentioning school and his father, revealing smiles frequently.
Sun Kai's three meals a day are personally prepared by his parents in the basement they rent and then brought to the hospital ward. When feeling comfortable, little Sun Kai eats more than his mother; when feeling unwell, he cannot eat at all. Sometimes, the 11-year-old Sun Kai cries and demands other food (like cookies), but his parents dare not let him eat. The food Sun Kai eats now cannot contain seasonings, soy sauce, or monosodium glutamate, with no other special requirements.
On August 18th, the hospital test report showed that Sun Kai's white blood cells in his body had started to grow. Hearing this news, he was as excited as his parents, telling his grandfather back home over the phone, "Grandpa, my white blood cells have grown, I can eat now." When in pain, he couldn't help but cry, and only after the pain subsided could he eat and drink.
Mentioning going back to school, Sun Kai was very happy, "I like physical education class, I like playing basketball. I want to go back to my hometown early, go back to school." Last spring, after being diagnosed with aplastic anemia, little Sun Kai learned this term but did not fully understand its terrifying implications. He just felt unwell all over and cried, hoping to get better sooner. He never imagined that his illness would cost so much money, depleting the family's finances and leaving them heavily in debt, yet still unable to cure his disease.
Sun Kai said that during the hardest times, he felt like he wouldn't survive, unsure if his disease could be cured. He said, "If it can't be cured, I'm not afraid. If it can't be cured, I'll die." At the age of 11, he was once so close to death.
His father is the person Sun Kai is closest to, and there are always joyful moments with him. He gives his father playful nicknames, asks his father to massage his legs, and enjoys eating the food his father makes.
In the hospital, Sun Kai also competes with other patients, seeing whose white blood cells and red blood cells grow faster. Some patients underwent surgery earlier than him and were older than him, but their white blood cells and red blood cells didn't grow as fast as his.
It is evident that Sun Kai has beautiful expectations for his future and many optimistic thoughts.
Sun Kai's body begins to make blood but still needs to prevent rejection.
- Still needs to prevent rejection and infection
When Sun Kai's white blood cells began to grow, the measured value was over 500, reaching over 1000 in the following few days. On August 24th, the white blood cell count dropped slightly, down to over 800. After injecting white blood-stimulating needles, the white blood cell count rose to over 2000, while the normal range for white blood cells is 4000 to 10000. On August 27th, Sun Wenhui informed the reporter that Sun Kai's red blood cell count was 11 grams, with the normal range being 12 to 16 grams; his platelet count was 20,000, while the normal range is 100,000 to 300,000.
According to the attending physician, Chen Huiran, on August 3rd, Sun Kai successfully underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplant surgery. Now that white blood cells and red blood cells have started to grow, it indicates that the donated hematopoietic stem cells have begun to take effect in Sun Kai's body, and his body has begun to gradually restore its blood-making function. After the hematopoietic stem cell transplant surgery, treatment is needed to prevent rejection and infection. About a month later, Sun Kai can be discharged from the hospital. After discharge, Sun Kai will still need regular check-ups at the hospital for some time. "The difficulty of this surgery lies in the technology to prevent rejection. Currently, Sun Kai's white blood cell count is very low, with low immunity. In the later stages of treatment, blood transfusions and intravenous infusions are used to prevent infections and rejection. Generally, about 70% to 80% of patients will smoothly recover after the surgery." Chen Huiran said, "The next 2 to 3 months are still critical periods for preventing rejection. Currently, Sun Kai's recovery status is good. If he recovers well, in about six months, Sun Kai can return to school."
- Urges inclusion of major diseases into the insurance system
Chen Huiran told the reporter that this family is very kind. Because of a child with a serious illness in the family, a father acted rashly, attracting public attention and receiving many people's loving donations, allowing Sun Kai the opportunity and conditions to receive treatment. Sun Kai suffers from severe aplastic anemia, where severe aplastic anemia is equivalent to the patient's body not producing blood. This disease is difficult to treat, and most patients die without timely treatment. To ultimately cure Sun Kai, a hematopoietic stem cell transplant is necessary, replacing the abnormal hematopoietic organ with a normal one. "Many patients do not abandon treatment because the disease cannot be treated, but because they lack money. With the development of medical technology, many previously incurable diseases can now be cured. For example, 90% of congenital heart disease patients can be cured." Chen Huiran deeply regrets that some patients abandon treatment due to lack of funds.
Chen Huiran also said, "In the hospital, we have seen many patients abandon treatment because they cannot afford it, and their lives are also abandoned. The hospital is powerless. The hospital can only improve its ability to treat diseases through scientific and technological developments and advancements in medical standards, while rescue efforts should be carried out by social security departments and charitable organizations. As a doctor, I urge that some major diseases and curable diseases be included in the major disease treatment insurance system, ensuring that all treatable patients receive treatment."