On our birthdays, we usually thank our parents for giving us the gift of life because well, without them, we wouldn’t even exist. However, one man, in particular, had his son to thank as his son, too, gave him the gift of life.
A nine-year-old boy by the name of Lu Zikuan in central China set out a goal to eat a lot and gain at least 15kg back in February of this year.
And there’s a good reason behind it.
According to Beijing Youth Daily, his father, Lu Yanheng, suffers from a debilitating type of blood cancer which almost left him bedridden at home in Henan province.
Last year, he finally told his two sons and one daughter that he had cancer, one of the myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and was in need of a spinal bone marrow transplant to treat his condition.
All three of them wanted to donate their spinal bone marrow, but it was revealed through a medical report in February that Zikuan, who was his oldest son, was a suitable match.
The only problem? His weight.
The Weight Gain Journey
He had to gain another 15kg in order to be considered a suitable donor, so his family in Hui county, Longnan, helped him with that.
Despite the fact that his family was not well-to-do, they gave him all the nutritious food that they could afford. For the following months, Zikuan had five meals a day. This included a bowl of noodles and a small carton of milk right before he heads off to bed.
He was also treated to soy-braised pork every day, something that was considered a luxury to the family because of its cost. In an attempt to help out, his siblings also sometimes gave him their portions.
Zikuan reportedly told the newspaper that even though it was fun when he first started out, he subsequently started getting stomachaches from being too full and had to lay down to take a rest. He also said that it was difficult trying to swallow everything especially when he was already full. He said that the rapid weight gain was uncomfortable.
Other than suffering from physical pain, he was also hurt emotionally when his classmates teased him about his weight gain, commenting that he was “growing fat but not tall”. This was only stopped after his principal stepped in.
However, thankfully, his efforts paid off in July when he weighed 48kg and was finally considered a suitable donor.
Moving On With The Procedure
The family then travelled down to Beijing for the transplant at Peking University’s People’s Hospital, and the procedure to extract Zikuan’s bone marrow started on 9 September 2019, which is also his father’s birthday.
See what I mean when I say that his father has his son to thank for the gift of life?
Mr Lu was so grateful for his son that he expressed it on social media. He wrote in a post on microblog site Weibo:
“This is a day I will never forget – my son gave me the hope to live on my birthday. I thank my son for everything he has done for me. He said he had pain in his leg and back … this is too much for a child.”
After their story was told on state media, their family garnered a lot of support and sympathy. People from across the country started donating to help pay for Mr Lu’s treatment after a video report on this story was published by state news agency China News Service. The donations have reached more than 800,000 yuan (~approximately S$155,241).
According to Beijing Daily Report, Mr Lu is recovering well after his procedure and will be transferred out of intensive care in two weeks.
Zikuan is out of the hospital and is currently on a diet. He hopes to get back down to 30kg and is resting for a few more days before heading back to school.
You are a hero to your father, Zikuan, and I’m sure everyone is proud of you. All of us here in Goody Feed wish you and your father all the best and a speedy recovery!
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