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The boy was spotted while begging in a city square. Photo: Sohu.com

Chinese boy, 10, goes begging to help pay for cancer-stricken mother’s treatment

A 10-year-old boy from northeastern China sneaked out of his house and begged in a local city square to raise funds to help treat his mother with leukaemia, a news website reported.

The boy, Zhang Huanyu, was sent back to his home village in Jilin province by a couple after they saw him begging in Liaoyuan for a whole day last week, Sohu.com reported.

Zhang begged using a cardboard sign saying, “Please, warm-hearted people, help my mother who has leukaemia.”

Zhang’s grandparents, who had been searching for him, cried when he handed over a stack of cash and asked them to mail the money to his mother Xu Wei in Beijing.

Xu is a single mother who first fell ill in 2016, according to the report.

“I’ve already grown up and am a man. I need to protect mum,” Zhang was quoted as saying. “Other pupils all have their mums and I want my mum to see me going to school, pick me up and cook me meals.”
The boy pictured with his grandparents. Photo: Sohu.com

The family’s medical fees have exceeded 1 million yuan (US$157,980) and Zhang’s family has run out of money after selling everything – including their home – and borrowing money from all their friends and relatives.

After overhearing his grandparents talking about making arrangements for a funeral, Zhang decided to go begging, the report said.

“I won’t go to school and will go begging every day to pay mum’s hospital fees if they don’t treat her. I can’t let mum die,” the child said.

The couple who sent Zhang back left 500 yuan and told the grandparents to contact them if they needed more help.

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