The older brother took good care of his younger brother all the time. Photo by reporter Yang Qin. Currently, there is an outstanding debt of several ten thousand yuan for treatment and more than 7000 yuan for nursing fees which has worried He Rongcai, who has relied on low-income benefits for many years. According to the report from reporter Huang Kuanwei, he lost his mother at a young age, had a sick father and a young brother; he assumed the responsibility of taking care of his young brother; in his youth, with a sick brother, he missed his own marriage. At 72 years old, He Rongcai is a villager in Luogang District. In order to take care of his disabled younger brother for more than forty years, he never married. He Rongxing lost his mother at a young age, and as the eldest brother, he thus assumed the heavy burden of the family. Later, his young brother suffered from mental illness and eight years ago became hemiplegic due to a stroke. He Rongcai, who loved his brother since childhood, took good care of him without any complaints. Half a year ago, his 65-year-old younger brother was hospitalized due to cerebral hemorrhage. Currently, the elder brother, over seventy years old, is seeking help everywhere for the outstanding debt of several ten thousand yuan for treatment and nursing fees.
He Rongcai is from Badou Village, United Street, Luogang District. He is already 72 years old and has lived together with his younger brother, who is seven years younger, for decades depending on each other. Ms. He, niece of He Rongxing, introduced that He Rongcai is her uncle, and this time the sick He Rongxing is her second uncle. The two brothers depended on each other and have lived together for decades. Without the care of her uncle, her second uncle might not have been able to live until now.
"Very early on, grandma passed away from illness when she was in her thirties," Ms. He introduced. After grandma passed away, she left three young children behind. Grandpa did not remarry, and Uncle He Rongcai, who was slightly older, assumed the heavy burden of the family. Because the family could not afford it, her father was adopted by others.
When his mother passed away, He Rongcai was around fifteen or sixteen years old. His father's health was also poor. Poor children grow up fast, and He Rongcai, who had a very strong sense of responsibility, became the pillar of the family. While farming to support the family, he also had to take care of his young brother. Unexpectedly, after encountering various incidents, He Rongcai took care of his brother for decades.
"Uncle He Rongxing grew up and went to work at the brick kiln factory, and around the age of twenty, he married a female educated youth who came down to the countryside." Ms. He said, after her uncle started a family, her elder uncle (He Rongcai) could then live his own life, but another misfortune occurred.
This "misfortune" was the sudden onset of mental illness in her younger uncle He Rongxing. Before he fell ill, He Rongxing had good relationships in the village and taught himself the skill of cutting hair. He often helped adults and children in the neighborhood cut their hair for free. But after falling ill, he became someone else, unable to work and often beating and scolding his wife.
He Rongcai recalled that once her younger brother ran to the fields and silently lifted his thin and weak sister-in-law who was working and threw her heavily onto the ground, leaving her unconscious. Her younger brother He Rongxing's condition did not show signs of improvement, and his wife, out of helplessness, remarried and lost contact.
After her sister-in-law remarried, He Rongcai again assumed the responsibility of taking care of her younger brother. "Taking care of him for decades," Ms. He said, taking care of her younger brother's daily life, washing clothes and cooking meals, and preventing her younger brother from causing trouble outside, "Uncle He did not start a family, for various reasons, including the impact of taking care of her younger brother." In 2003, her younger brother He Rongxing became right-side paralyzed due to a stroke, and He Rongcai continued to take good care of him.
Deep sibling affection: Who can help?
Older Brother He Rongcai: 72 years old, a villager in Luogang District, took care of his disabled younger brother for more than forty years and remained unmarried all his life.
Younger Brother He Rongxing: 65 years old, lost his mother at a young age, unfortunately suffered from mental illness at an early age, and eight years ago became paralyzed due to a stroke. Currently, there is still an outstanding debt of more than 40,000 yuan for medical expenses and more than 7000 yuan for nursing fees unsettled. This has worried He Rongcai, who has relied on low-income benefits for many years.
An elderly man fainted several times from exhaustion.
Half a year ago, after eating, her younger brother He Rongxing suddenly began foaming at the mouth. "That night, he called me and said Uncle He was about to pass away," Ms. He said. Subsequently, Uncle He was sent to a nearby small hospital, but his condition was still unstable. The next day, he was transferred to the Guangdong Provincial Armed Police Hospital where it was discovered that he had cerebral hemorrhage.
After the surgery, He Rongxing has been hospitalized until now. Yesterday, the reporter saw He Rongcai in the ward. The elderly man He Rongcai waiting beside the bed appeared somewhat frail, always holding her younger brother's hand, trying to communicate with him. Seeing her younger brother respond by opening his mouth, the elderly man's tense face showed a little smile.
"The elderly man really cares about his younger brother, we were all deeply moved," nurse Ms. Yang said. He Rongxing has been in the hospital since before the New Year, spending the Spring Festival in the hospital. At the beginning, Elder He Rongcai did not hire a nurse and took care of his younger brother every day in the ward, busy doing everything. The elderly man was already over seventy years old, and his body definitely could not withstand it, fainting several times in the ward from exhaustion.
After the surgery, He Rongxing could not eat normally and had a gastric tube inserted, receiving nasogastric feeding six times a day through a syringe. "It is difficult even for young people, it is not easy for an elderly person to take care of a patient," Ms. Yang introduced. Later, Elder He Rongcai was persuaded to go home, and the nurse took care of him, but he still visited the hospital every few days. "Every time he comes to the hospital, he brings a few eggs laid by the old hens at home, which he himself would not eat."
Raising money to save his younger brother
The attending doctor introduced that He Rongxing's condition has stabilized, his blood pressure has returned to normal, and he can return home to recuperate. However, currently, there is still an outstanding debt of more than 40,000 yuan for medical expenses, and more than 7000 yuan for nursing fees unsettled. This has worried Elder He Rongcai because he has relied on low-income benefits for many years and cannot come up with this amount of money.
Ms. He said that after understanding the patient's situation, the hospital has waived some of the fees, and the nursing fee has been reduced from 80 yuan per day to 60 yuan. "Relatives are all working outside and do not have much economic strength, they have the heart but lack the ability." Nurse Ms. Yang said that because of concerns about collecting fees, the elderly man cried several times, "Actually, we understand his situation and have not pursued collection from him."
From the old house in Luogang to the hospital is more than an hour's journey. Elder He Rongcai, who rarely goes out, has made countless round trips in the past half year. Recently, in order to solve the problem of her younger brother's fees, Elder He Rongcai has contacted multiple departments such as the village committee and the Disabled Persons' Federation for assistance. "Currently, there has been no official response, we hope these departments can intervene and help," Ms. He said.