He Had to Choose Work Over His Family on Lunar New Year, Now He’ll Regret it Forever

February 23, 2018

A Chinese migrant worker dreamt of a better future for his son so he worked, even during holidays.

However, his decision to work during the Lunar New Year to save up more money for his son’s education turned out to be a painful mistake after his son died while he was away, according to SCMP. The unnamed dad from Yichuan county, Henan province expressed both grief and regret in an interview posted on Pear Video.

“Everything I did was for my child,” the father said. “If I had known this would happen, I would definitely have come back for the Lunar New Year to spend time with him.”

His 13-year-old son, who he left under the care of relatives, reportedly went outside to play Friday night last week. When he failed to return by 9 p.m., the family began to worry and went looking for him. The boy was found lying in the road next to a garbage truck unconscious and covered in blood. He was immediately brought to a local hospital where he died on Tuesday.

“Everything I’ve given in the past 13 years, material or spiritual, has now vanished,” the father said. “All my hopes have been shattered.”

Authorities are currently investigating the boy’s death as a possible hit-and-run case.

The worker’s son is just one of the estimated 60 million “left-behind children” in China, kids who were left in the care of relatives in rural villages as parents find opportunities in the cities. The phenomenon is believed to have caused numerous mental health and physical issues among many children in rural China.

Feature Image via Pear Video

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