Fan Yu's grandparents, who are both over 70 years old, work in the town to make ends meet. During the cold winter season, they work outdoors peeling off the plastic wrappers of mineral water bottles.
Aside from a few wounds on his head, there is no noticeable difference between him and other children. Fan Yu's father, Fan Hongwei, said that little Fan Yu was very well-behaved since he was young, but started speaking very late. He didn't call "Dad" or "Mom" until he was four years old. When Fan Yu was six, he suddenly contracted a strange illness where he would bang his head against the wall and flail his limbs during an episode. The family observed that Fan Yu was afraid of sounds; hearing thunder, firecrackers, or even the sound of neighbors cooking could trigger an episode. During these episodes, little Fan Yu would become extremely restless and often self-harm. In severe cases, it would take three adults to restrain him.
Each time Fan Yu had an episode, Fan Hongwei would tightly hold his son with both hands to prevent him from self-harming.
Seeking a Good Remedy for the Strange Illness
"Our family doesn't want to be a burden to others. As long as I am alive, I will gradually pay back the money borrowed for my child's medical treatment," said Fan Yu's grandmother Jiang Fengqin. She hopes that through the media, a good remedy can be found for her grandson's strange illness so that he can live a normal life.
Fan Hongwei originally worked in a restaurant, but after his son fell ill, he resigned and took his son to see doctors all over. To treat Fan Yu, the family spent all their savings, and over the years, accumulated several ten thousand yuan in debt owed to relatives and friends.
Little Fan Yu lives in Shuanghe Town, Yongji County, Jilin City, with his father, grandfather, and grandmother. When he isn't having an episode, Fan Yu always holds his father's hand and quietly watches TV at home. There always needs to be someone by his side; he cannot be left alone.
According to Jilin Evening News, children look forward to the New Year when they can wear new clothes and set off fireworks. However, Fan Yu, who lives in Shuanghe Town, Yongji County, fears the New Year the most because at the age of six, he contracted a strange illness where he experiences unbearable headaches upon hearing firework sounds, even banging his head against the wall.
A while ago, during one of Fan Yu's episodes, he accidentally injured his father Fan Hongwei's left eye. The doctor diagnosed it as retinal detachment, which if not treated promptly, could lead to blindness. However, the surgery costs at least 20,000 yuan. "I won't get treated, my child can't live without me," Fan Hongwei said during the interview. Now he can only see with his right eye; his left eye sees only white.
(Fan Hongwei's words were reported by journalist Wang Jing)
Irregular Episodes Prevent Him from Attending School
Fan Hongwei said that after contracting the illness, little Fan Yu rarely spoke, only occasionally calling "Dad" or "Mom." His episodes occur irregularly, and he might hear a sound at any time and fall ill, making it impossible for him to attend school.
At the age of six, he began experiencing headaches upon hearing loud sounds. Now twelve years old, Fan Yu's condition has not improved at all. His IQ remains at the level of a four-year-old, only able to call "Dad" and "Mom." On February 14th, Fan Yu's family hoped to find a doctor through this newspaper to treat his strange illness.
During an episode, he injured his father's left eye. Share: We welcome your comments! Please comment.
"Our family fears the New Year the most. When the child hears firecracker sounds, he falls ill, breaking things, hitting people, and even self-harming," Fan Hongwei said. This year, to prevent the child from falling ill, they turned on both the recorder and the television at home to maximum volume to divert Fan Yu's attention.