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A young boy gave his father his life savings after his sister was diagnosed with leukaemia. Photo: SCMP composite
People & CultureSocial Welfare

‘I wanted to ease his burden’: 10-year-old boy in China gives 3-year savings as Father’s Day gift to help pay for younger sister’s cancer treatment

  • The boy had saved 713 yuan (US$107) of pocket money over three years in his piggy bank
  • He decided to donate the money after seeing how much help the family had received through charity
Cancer
Liya Su
Liya Suin Shanghai
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A 10-year-old boy in northern China gave his family a tear-jerker Father’s Day present when he donated his entire savings, 713 yuan (US$107), to help pay for his five-year-old sister’s leukaemia treatment.

The boy, Zhang Chenguang from Henan province, had saved the money for three years and gave it to his father as a gift for the special day.

His sister, Zhang Jiayah, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in May this year, and the family was told the cost of treatment would top 400,000 yuan (US$60,000).

The parents, who are unemployed, reached out to the local Red Cross charity for financial help.

The Red Cross called for public donations for the family and coordinated local organisations, such as the kindergarten where the girl went to and neighbourhood committees, to run charity drives. Through their efforts, the family was able to pay for the leukaemia treatment.
Zhang hands his father his piggy bank as a gesture to help his sister fight cancer. Photo: Weibo

When the boy heard that the donations of strangers had helped his family pay for the treatment, Zhang decided he would also contribute and give his piggy bank to his father as a Father’s Day gift.

“I saw my father’s hair had started to turn grey, and I wanted to ease his burden,” a sobbing Zhang told Henan Radio & Television Network.

According to the regional broadcaster, the father wrapped his arm around his son, trying to comfort the boy. His sister also began crying during a video call when this happened.

“I found it was tough to donate all my savings, but I still did it because I had planned to give my savings to my sister, even if she was not sick,” he said.

According to Zhang’s father, the girl is in good condition after receiving treatment at the ICU.

The sister is reportedly doing well after treatment. Photo: Weibo

Zhang’s goodwill spread across Chinese social media despite the reality that the 713 yuan was just a drop in the bucket to pay for the little girl’s treatment.

One person wrote on Weibo: “I hope his sister can survive the battle against cancer and go home to reunite with the family soon.”

Late last year, China issued a report about childhood leukaemia statistics in 2020, finding that among 436 hospitals surveyed, the incidence of leukaemia for children younger than 14 stood at 34 cases per million people.

The five-year survival rate for children who developed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in China was 90 per cent.

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