Society

Online donations ease sick baby's short life

By Jia Xu (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-12-13 19:19

Xixi's mother Hao Yuan takes care of one-year-old Xixi at Beijing Children Hospital in Sept 10,2010.[Photo/Beijing Times]

Xixi, a one-year-old girl who suffers from acute megakaryocytic leukemia, (AMKL), received 120,000 yuan from kindhearted netizens three months ago after her story was posted online, the Beijing Times reported.

Xixi, who was born in Hohhot, capital of North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was diagnosed with the disease six months ago, and was told she could only survive is she had a bone marrow transplant, which costs about 500,000 yuan($ 75,031).

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Xixi received some routine treatments, but her family ran out of money. "We spent all our savings, yet her situation hasn't turned better," Xixi mother Hao Yuan said. "Moreover, we can't bear seeing her suffer through treatments, she's so fragile."

Xixi's neighbor knew the story and decided to post an article online in an SNS community, and a week later, more than 300 kindhearted netizens organized three online donation groups — "The light of Hope for Xixi," and collected over 120,000 yuan from anonymous donors.

"Life is precious and hard for such a small girl, and we hope she can live longer with our help," one group member wrote on Xixi's online community banner.

Xixi is now in Beijing to receive medical treatments at Beijing Children Hospital, but unfortunately, doctors say it may be too late for treatments. All they can do is make the rest of her days more comfortable.

"I knew she'll die soon, but I want her to feel less pain when she's alive," Xixi's mother said. "And thanks to those kindhearted people."