A 3-year-old boy from Hubei province in central China has tugged on the heartstrings of social media users after receiving a custom prosthetic leg.
The heartwarming video, uploaded to Douyin on Dec. 21, shows the boy, Wu Yicheng, receiving his new prosthetic leg that features an illustration of his favorite superhero, Iron Man.
The clip then shows Wu trying out his replacement limb by climbing up a few steps of stairs and running toward his parents.
He reportedly lost the lower part of his left leg after a truck ran over him around half a year ago. The boy was playing on the streets of their village before the incident occurred.
Wu’s parents created a Douyin account to document his growth as he recovers.
He reportedly received rehabilitation and his first prosthetic leg from Morning Star Home in September 2021. The company was founded by amputee dancer Liao Zhi and her prosthetics specialist husband Charles Wang.
Wu’s new prosthetic leg with the Iron Man illustration, which was ordered by his parents, is reportedly his third replacement.
“We want to help him to accept the prosthetic leg and grow up with optimism,” his father said, according to South China Morning Post. “He also showed off his leg to other children at the kindergarten, [saying,] ‘Look at my Iron Man leg!’”
Several Douyin users reportedly shared messages of support for Wu, with one person writing, “Little guy, I wish you to walk as fast as flash in the future!”
Another person wrote, “I was moved to tears when I saw him stand up. This is the true meaning of science, helping people to achieve happiness.”
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