Doctors Bow To An 11-Year-Old Hero Whose Selfless Act Helped Save Several Lives
An 11-year-old Chinese boy who suffered from a brain tumour decided to donate his organs to others in need while he was on his death bed. Now, if only every one of us did what he did, this world would be a better place to live in.
By Sadho Ram — 29 Jul 2014, 09:47 AM — Updated over 10 years ago
An 11-year-old's profound wish to give the gift of life to others came true on the last day of his life
To say he was able to do more for others in that sort span of life than most of us could ever accomplice in our entire lifetime wouldn't be wrong.
This photo shows doctors bowing to Liang Yaoyi, a gifted student from Shenzhen, China, who died from a brain tumour in this June. His mother can be seen crying in the background.
Liang was diagnosed with the tumor at the age of 9, just after he moved to Shenzhen to join his brother and sister, and to attend primary school, Shanghai Daily reports
One day, Liang felt dizzy and the next day had trouble walking, so his sister took him to a hospital where he learned he had a brain tumor.
shanghaidaily.comLi Qun used all her savings and borrowed from relatives in a desperate bid to find successful treatment for her son. The family said that Liang had wanted to be a rocket scientist after reading a book about great inventions his brother bought him.
chinasmack.com
Before passing away on 6 June, Liang told his mother, Li Qun, that he wanted to donate his organs
"There are many people doing great things in the world," he said according to China Daily. "They are great, and I want to be a great kid too."
According to a QQ news story translated by chinaSMACK:
"The suffering caused by the tumor even caused him to change his personal dreams and aspirations. If he could only survive, he would become a doctor and cure everybody's illnesses. [...] Regrettably, he would not be able to become a doctor, and thus he decided to donate his organs as well as his own body to a medical school, therefore fulfilling his dream of entering a medical university in this way."
chinasmack.com
Liang considered it a chance to be "alive in another way"
When Liao’s story was posted on Weibo microblog by the newspaper’s deputy editor-in-chief it was seen by tens of thousands of web users, including celebrities such as actress Yao Chen. Many said that they prayed for him, and that he was indeed a great child.
shanghaidaily.comLiang's teacher said he may have learned of organ donation by reading stories in a school textbook. Liang's mother honored his wishes and doctors were able to save his kidneys and liver for donation, according to China Daily.
The picture has created a firestorm within Chinese media outlets and on Reddit, where users commented on the beauty of the photo, the strength of Liang and the importance of organ donation.