The other day, my mum asked me to help her search for an app on her phone and in response, I rolled my eyes and an excessive amount of air left my mouth.
I, a lazy human who spends most of his days napping rent-free in the house of the woman (and man) who gave birth to me and raised me for over two and a half decades, had trouble swiping my thumb a few times over my mum’s phone.
I felt bad enough about it the next day, but then I read the story of this incredibly selfless sister in China and felt even worse.
24YO Girl Weighs 21KG After Spending $0.40 Daily To Save Money For Sick Brother
When Wu Huayuan was just four, her mother died. Years later in 2014, her father would pass too, leaving her and her brother to fend for themselves.
Thus, Wu had to shoulder the financial burden for her family after her father passed away. According to HK01, she and her brother only had 1,290 yuan (around S$250) a month to survive on.
So, Wu, now 24-years-old, skipped breakfast and ate only bread or white rice with chilli sauce for lunch and dinner because she limited herself to spending 2 yuan (40 cents) a day on food in order to save money.
She did this out of necessity, as her younger brother had a mental illness and needed treatment. She couldn’t ask her relatives for money either, because they were poor as well.
Malnourished
As a result of her scrimping on food, Wu became severely malnourished; she weighed 21 kg and was 135cm tall. She also started losing her hair had no eyebrows as her body did not have enough nutrition. So, even though she was 24, Wu looked like a child.
She would fall sick frequently but would only purchase cheap medicines as she still had to raise 5,000 yuan (around S$965) for her brother’s treatment.
Thankfully, Wu’s brother’s condition was controlled after one year of treatment. And despite all her hardships, Wu still had dreams and ambitions she wanted to pursue.
She managed to get a student loan to study economics at a university in Guizhou. However, in her third year, she had to work two jobs as the loan was not enough to cover her expenses.
The 24-year-old worked as a cleaner and teaching assistant where she was paid 600 yuan (S$115) monthly.
Hospitalized
Unfortunately, Wu’s condition deteriorated and she had to be admitted to the hospital after she could barely walk 40 metres on her own.
The doctors said that she had heart problems due to her severe malnutrition and would require surgery to fix it, but it would cost 200,000 yuan (around S$38,600).
Wu, understandably, refused to go through with the surgery because she simply could not afford it.
Her friends and relatives were determined for her to do so, however, to save her life. So, they started a crowdfunding effort for her and her case went viral, with many donating money to help poor Wu.
Wu said she was grateful for the help, as some even donated half of their monthly salary to help her.
Her brother said he would do his part as well, claiming he would do social work to earn money and help his sister with the medical fees.
I don’t know about you, but this story has made some of the “issues” I have in life seem laughably trivial. More than anything, though, her sacrificing her health for the sake of her brother’s serves as an example of the kind of familial selflessness we should all aspire to.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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