NextSharkNextShark.com
Latest Newsletter🍵 Biden awards Asian artistsRead

Article

Single Mom in China Sobs in Front of Hospital Because She Can’t Afford Her Child’s Treatment

    Asian America Daily - in under 5 minutes

    Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories, to your inbox daily, for free!

    Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive

    A photoset of a sobbing single mother who had been discharged from a Chinese hospital after she could no longer afford care for her sick child has gone viral for its heartbreaking vulnerability and emotion.

    The scene outside Shanghai’s Children Hospital was first captured in December last year, but is going viral again on Chinese social media platforms.

    via Kuaibao

    It raked thousands of comments early this week, reigniting discussions on the difficult reality of healthcare in China.

    via Kuaibao

    The mother in the photos, 45-year-old Guo Yinzhen, has been a single parent since her divorce several years ago. She has been the sole caretaker of her son, three-year-old Guo Zhenghan, in a village in Datian county, Fujian province.

    via Kuaibao

    Yinzhen was a factory worker but lost her job after giving birth to Zhenghan. The mother and son have been supported by her parents, who pluck tea leaves for a living.

    via Kuaibao

    As per Sina News, Zhenghan is suffering from congenital hydrocephalus. He was brought to the hospital after contracting an infection.

    Unfortunately, expenses ballooned and left the pair with no choice but to leave the hospital when they could no longer afford treatment.

    via ifeng

    As it turned out, Yinzhen needed around 100,000 yuan (over $15,000) for further treatment, but the family was already overburdened with debts amounting to $47,000.

    Overall, they have spent at least 400,000 yuan (over $60,000) for Zhenghan’s treatment, which included three surgeries and previous hospitalizations.

    via ifeng

    The story has prompted conversations about China’s healthcare, which happens to be related to hukou, or household registration system.

    via Kuaibao

    According to What’s on Weibo, government-subsidized rural medical insurance is not applicable in a different province, so patients like Zhenghan must shoulder their own expenses when traveling for treatment.

    via Kuaibao

    Fortunately, their photos taken on December 1 immediately went viral, and by December 5, they were back in Shanghai with the help of the Xiaoxingxin Foundation. Through their assistance, Zhenghan was able to undergo another necessary operation.

    via Kuaibao

    In an update, the foundation also announced that his infection was gone and his brain development was “looking good.”

    via Kuaibao

    Get well soon, Zhenghan!

    Featured Images via Kuaibao

    Support our Journalism with a Contribution

    Many people might not know this, but despite our large and loyal following which we are immensely grateful for, NextShark is still a small bootstrapped startup that runs on no outside funding or loans.

    Everything you see today is built on the backs of warriors who have sacrificed opportunities to help give Asians all over the world a bigger voice.

    However, we still face many trials and tribulations in our industry, from figuring out the most sustainable business model for independent media companies to facing the current COVID-19 pandemic decimating advertising revenues across the board.

    We hope you consider making a contribution so we can continue to provide you with quality content that informs, educates and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way.  Thank you for everyone's support. We love you all and can't appreciate you guys enough.

    Support NextShark

    Mastercard, Visa, Amex, Discover, Paypal