Yao Xiaobin and his mother are in their rented apartment. Yao Xiaobin was once a sports champion. Last year, his father passed away due to overwork. He hopes to be self-reliant and support his mother. "I wish I could work and live healthily like others, I wish I could be filial to my hardworking parents and use the knowledge I've learned to support this family. Is it really possible?" - Yao Xiaobin. Written and photographed by reporter Li Liang.
"The most urgent need for me is a job that can support my family." In 2005, then 25-year-old Yao Xiaobin experienced the ups and downs of life. That year he was admitted as a postgraduate student in human geography at Sun Yat-sen University, but soon after, he was diagnosed with uremia.
Six years have passed, Xiao Bin has been living with dialysis equipment while staying in a rented apartment. With the help of his family, teachers, and classmates, he managed to get through those tough times and completed his credits intermittently. However, last year, his father passed away due to overwork, causing him to break down again.
Now, Xiao Bin is trying to reinvigorate himself, hoping for an opportunity to enter society, to be independent, and to show some filial piety to his mother.
Shock: Diagnosed with uremia after entering graduate school
Yesterday, when the reporter visited the small rented house in Zhongcun, Panyu, where Yao Xiaobin and his mother lived, there was only one table, a broken sofa, two chairs, and a wooden bed. The table and bed were almost entirely filled with medicine.
Yao Xiaobin's face showed some swelling, and his eyes were full of bloodshot. His mother looked haggard and worried. The mother and son sat on the wooden bed, unable to speak a few words without becoming tearful.
In 2005, Yao Xiaobin was admitted to Sun Yat-sen University with excellent results to study human geography as a public-funded postgraduate student. He was the first postgraduate student in his family. Yao Xiaobin was a sports champion in his class, having won awards in football, sprinting, and other events at school. Despite being short, he could handle the position of guard in basketball.
At the end of 2005, Yao Xiaobin was diagnosed with uremia at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. He had to undergo dialysis every other day, three times a week, each costing hundreds of yuan, in addition to purchasing expensive medication.
Faced with huge expenses, in 2006, Yao Xiaobin had no choice but to apply for a leave of absence and return to his hometown, Deqing County, for treatment. Due to insufficient medical conditions in the county, in 2008, Yao Xiaobin's mother quit her job, and they moved back to Guangzhou, renting a small room in Zhongcun, Panyu, for 400 yuan, continuing his dialysis treatment.
Persistence: Studying while undergoing dialysis
After settling in Panyu, Yao Xiaobin and his mother would wake up at 6 a.m. every other day, take three buses, and arrive at the hospital by 7:30 a.m. for a four-hour dialysis session.
During these sessions, Yao Xiaobin would review his notes as usual. It wasn't easy getting into graduate school, so with the encouragement and support of his family, teachers, and classmates, Yao Xiaobin rallied and hoped to complete his studies.
"If I'm at home, I usually lie in bed reading to save energy, and when I feel good, I try to read more," said Xiao Bin. "If I can download materials online, I do so because buying books is too expensive." Xiao Bin has a computer for internet access, but the reporter noticed that four keys on the keyboard were missing.
In 2011, it was already the fifth year since Xiao Bin was admitted to graduate school, and he finally finished his credits. He decided to persevere and finish his thesis, putting a perfect end to his graduate studies. He submitted an application for his thesis defense to the school.
Blow: Father dies from overwork
Just as Yao Xiaobin was preparing for his thesis defense, another devastating blow came: his father suddenly passed away from a heart attack. Yao Xiaobin didn't get to see his father one last time.
Yao Xiaobin's father, Yao Weiguo, was an employee who stayed on the job even though he could have retired to help pay for his son's treatment. While Xiao Bin's mother accompanied him in Guangzhou for treatment, his father handled logistics back home. The heavy workload, household chores, and mental stress eventually took their toll on him.
Yao Xiaobin hurried home to handle his father's funeral arrangements. He felt that the greatest force supporting him had collapsed. In deep pain, he missed the best time for his thesis defense, filled with regret towards the teachers and classmates who cared about him, and had to reluctantly abandon the defense application.
For a period, Xiao Bin was completely lost, his mind blank. Last year, the school contacted him, informing him that although he did not participate in the thesis defense, he had completed all the credits. Although he couldn't obtain a degree certificate, he could still receive a graduation certificate, but he didn't go to collect it.
Not focusing on the graduation certificate, Xiao Bin had another reason: "I don't want others to think I have the halo of a postgraduate, but am high-scored yet low-ability, never having had the chance to enter society. I've lost confidence. I just hope to find a regular job."
Before his father's death, Xiao Bin's family income was less than 4,000 yuan per month. Now, with the loss of the family pillar, the only source of income is his mother's retirement pension of over 1,000 yuan.
Compared to the meager income, Xiao Bin's treatment costs are much higher: three dialysis treatments per week, each costing 750 yuan; monthly medication costs around 2,000 yuan, of which about 60% is covered by medical insurance.
Xiao Bin has also considered a kidney transplant. Relatives and friends have tried to match with him, but unfortunately, none have matched. Moreover, doctors told him: if a kidney transplant is done, the cost of a single kidney source is approximately 100,000 yuan, surgery and examination fees are between 70,000 to 100,000 yuan, and medication costs are 150,000 yuan in the first year, followed by 100,000 yuan annually thereafter, totaling nearly one million yuan.
To treat Xiao Bin, the family is heavily in debt. "Relatives and friends, seeing our situation, haven't asked us to repay," said Xiao Bin's mother Zhang Shuiying.
For five years, it has been thanks to donations from teachers, classmates, and kind-hearted people in society that Xiao Bin has been able to receive normal treatment.
However, Xiao Bin deeply understands that relying on others' help is not a long-term solution. He has always tried to find a job or part-time work to alleviate the family's burden. "What I and my mother urgently need most is a job," said Xiao Bin.
We look forward to your help
If you can help Yao Xiaobin, please contact him.
Phone: 15920315054