14-year-old Huang Jianfeng was transferred from Fujian to Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital for treatment the night before last. New Express reporter Wang Xiaoming, correspondent Wu Jianpeng / photo
A makeshift ICU ward was built on the ruins of a demolished area.
The self-built ward is filled with medical equipment. Dongnan Express / photo
A 14-year-old boy from Fuzhou suffering from a severe chordoma has arrived in Guangzhou seeking a final chance at recovery.
■New Express reporter Li Silu, intern reporter Xu Na
Buy, rent, borrow... In the Wangzhuang Xincun demolition area of Fuzhou, a pair of parents have exhausted all their resources to save their beloved son. Their 14-year-old son, Huang Jianfeng, suffers from one of the most severe types of cancer - chordoma, which has led to respiratory failure. Doctors in Fujian, Shanghai, and Beijing are at a loss. Unable to afford the exorbitant medical fees of an ICU ward due to their home being demolished and their impoverished situation, yet unwilling to bow to fate, they rented a ventilator, purchased oxygen tanks and oxygen machines, and built a "knockoff ICU ward" among the ruins.
The family's resilient fight for survival has drawn widespread attention from netizens, who have used Weibo to spread rescue information. The other day, this young man was transported over a thousand kilometers to be treated at Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital, where the hospital stated that it would carefully study Huang Jianfeng's condition, hoping to uncover a glimmer of hope.
All major hospitals "dared not admit"
This heart-wrenching story began on July 23rd of last year when Huang Jianfeng, a newly graduated elementary school student from Fuzhou, suddenly felt weak all over and lost control of his limbs. After being taken to the hospital by his family, he was diagnosed with chordoma. Since then, 39-year-old mother Zhang Xiaoying and 42-year-old father Huang Fusen have been shuttling between their home and the hospital to care for their son. Jianfeng underwent surgery and radiation therapy four times but his condition never improved; within less than a year, it recurred. The 1.7-meter-tall boy was tormented down to less than 60 jin (approximately 30 kg).
"Dear classmates, please help him." On December 7th, Huang Jianfeng's plight was discovered by Southeast Express in Fujian, and through its official Weibo account, an "SOS" message was sent out, sparking a relay of love from tens of thousands of netizens including celebrities like Wang Shi, Yao Chen, Guo Jingming, Ba Xiaoguang, Lao Rong, etc., urging donations.
To date, society has donated over 200,000 yuan for Huang Jianfeng. Knowing that the outside world and his parents were doing everything possible to support his fight against illness, Huang Jianfeng miraculously spoke up with a weak voice despite his gradually failing respiratory center and having his throat cut open: "I want to live." Subsequently, the Nanjing Military Region General Hospital in Fuzhou admitted him for treatment. Unfortunately, chordoma is a global challenge, and even though the hospital sent Huang Jianfeng's medical imaging and case files to several large hospitals in Shanghai and Beijing, the replies were all "dare not admit."
Bumpy 12-hour journey to Guangzhou seeking hope
A turning point occurred on the 19th of this month when news came from Guangzhou: Professor Qi Songtao, deputy director of Nanfang Hospital and head of the neurosurgery department, was willing to attempt another surgery for Huang Jianfeng. Although the hope seemed slim, the family chose to take "one last shot." At 8:40 PM on the 20th, after nearly 12 hours of long-distance travel, Xiao Jianfeng, accompanied by a doctor and a nurse from the General Hospital in Fuzhou, arrived at Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital in an ambulance.
"The road was still very perilous! Xiao Jianfeng had a fever throughout the journey, and additionally, the instruments often lost power, requiring constant adjustments along the way. Xiao Jianfeng's grandmother, over 70 years old, specially stewed a pot of meat soup so her grandson could replenish his nutrition during the trip," said Zhang Xiaoying.
Early yesterday morning, Zhang Xiaoying and Huang Fusen, who had just arrived in Guangzhou, went to the ICU of the neurosurgery department at Nanfang Hospital and looked at their son through the glass, tears streaming down their faces. Zhang Xiaoying, shedding a tear for every word, told reporters about her son's current state: "Seeing my child covered in tubes makes my heart ache. He's only 14, he shouldn't suffer so much. But his determination to survive has become our motivation; we will definitely not give up on him. My son endured having his throat cut open, surgeries, and cancer pain without shedding a single tear; he taught us what strength truly means."
Self-built Ward
The entire family squeezed together for seven hours to pull the child back from the brink of death
New Express reported that in a mere 10 square meters, with a broken wall as a barrier, a white tube delivering oxygen maintained Xiao Jianfeng's life... This was a "knockoff version" of an ICU ward, vastly different from the sterile, temperature-controlled, fully-equipped ICUs in regular hospitals. Despite its simplicity, Huang Jianfeng safely spent 38 days here. Yesterday, New Express interviewed face-to-face with Huang Jianfeng's parents, Huang Fusen and Zhang Xiaoying, who said: "This bold decision was made after careful discussion within the family; otherwise, we couldn't think of any better options."
Ventilator monthly rental cost three thousand
Zhang Xiaoying told reporters that at the time, the couple was overwhelmed by medical expenses. In mid-October this year, Xiao Jianfeng's condition worsened again and he was hospitalized. Due to tumor erosion, his body below the neck became completely paralyzed, and his central nervous system's respiratory function failed. He stayed in the ICU ward of the hospital for 37 days, costing over 100,000 yuan for using the ventilator and medication, while their combined monthly salary was only around 2000 yuan. The family made a difficult and bold decision: to bring Jianfeng home and build their own ICU ward for recuperation.
The Wangzhuang Xincun area where the Huang family resides is the largest urban renewal project in Fuzhou, with almost all demolition households having moved away. "Fuzhou customs prohibit renting houses to patients, leaving us once facing the dilemma of having nowhere to stay. With the help of the community committee, we moved into Xiangyuan Health Center on November 21st," Zhang Xiaoying said.
The ICU ward has extremely high requirements for environment and equipment, presenting the Huang family with the biggest challenge: medical devices. Huang Fusen sought connections everywhere, but a ventilator alone costs 38,000 yuan, and Huang Fusen's money was only enough for renting, at 3000 yuan per month. Instruments such as sphygmomanometers, suction machines, and oxygen cylinders, each costing a few thousand yuan, had to be purchased outright, with the oxygen machine costing 3800 yuan.
Parents and Grandmother Join Forces
After the "ICU" officially started operations, the family took turns caring for Jianfeng 24 hours a day.
Only a wall separates the living room from the "ICU". The Xiangyuan Health Center, located amidst demolition sites, supplies electricity but no water. Father Huang Fusen fetches water daily from nearby areas. However, there were no doctors available for emergency situations, only Jianfeng's parents, grandmother, and a caregiver. The 72-year-old grandmother, suffering from diabetes, was responsible for her grandson's diet.
Every day, Xiao Jianfeng races against death. On the second day after moving back, there was a sudden power outage at home, rendering the ventilator and oxygen machine useless, causing Xiao Jianfeng to stop breathing! "Jianfeng's face turned liver-colored, his features twisted in agony, sweat beads covered his head because he had lost his ability to breathe and couldn't speak. I was terrified and didn't know what to do," said Zhang Xiaoying. "Fortunately, we hired a skilled caregiver who immediately found the breathing ball, opened the oxygen tank, inserted the tube into Jianfeng's lungs through the opening in his chest, and continuously squeezed the breathing ball. Gradually, Xiao Jianfeng regained his breath. After squeezing the breathing ball for 20 minutes, the caregiver's hands were so sore she couldn't move them anymore. Then the entire family took turns replacing her, switching every 20 minutes or so, with uncles and aunts also coming over to help. This continued for a full 7 hours." After this harrowing experience, the Huang family dared not sleep at night, staying alert 24/7.
Latest Diagnosis
Complex Condition, Possible Surgery on Thursday
The neurosurgery department of Nanfang Hospital conducted a grand consultation regarding Huang Jianfeng's condition yesterday. Attending physician, Professor Qi Songtao of the neurosurgery department at Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital, told reporters that no opportunity would be missed, and the earliest surgery could be performed on Thursday.
"The condition is very complex and not optimistic," Professor Qi informed reporters after the consultation. When Xiao Jianfeng initially arrived in Guangzhou, Professor Qi Songtao of the Neurosurgery Department at Guangzhou Nanfang Hospital conducted a preliminary examination, revealing severe infection with a white blood cell count reaching 15,800, alongside an elevated heart rate.
After discussing with experts from various departments yesterday afternoon, Professor Qi expressed: "Doctors are under pressure to perform high-difficulty surgery, but as long as there is a chance of cure, even if it's one in ten thousand, the hospital will do its utmost to treat him." Several days ago, when Nanfang Hospital received Huang Jianfeng's medical imaging pictures, experts believed the patient could undergo surgery. "We are still discussing the specific treatment plan, and as long as there is any trace of hope, we will not let it slip by. The first surgery could be performed as early as Thursday."