“Dad, I saw you cry today. I’m so sad,” Zhang Jiaye, a Chinese girl with cancer, begins the heartbreaking letter to her dad.
In the letter, which is now going viral, the seven-year-old girl, who is battling leukaemia asked her father to stop the expensive treatments that have buried them in debt.
“I know you’ve spent a lot of money to treat me. You’ve run out of money. Mum also left. This is all because of me,” she continues.
Chinese girl with cancer writes letter to struggling dad: “You’ve run out of money. Mum also left. This is all because of me…”
Based on a report by the South China Morning Post, the girl’s mum left in July 2017. She has not attempted to contact them since.
“If I am gone, mum will come back and you will be happy as before,” writes Jiaye. “I don’t want to be treated anymore. Let’s go home, shall we?”
Despite being willing to forgo treatment, the young girl is determined to fight no matter what, says her dad.
Image source: Sina.com.cn
Over the course of a year, the young girl underwent 18 treatments, which cost 590,000 yuan (121,542 SGD).
After the letter went viral, many were inspired by Jiaye’s selflessness. As of this writing, 600,000 yuan (123,630 SGD) has been donated to help fund Jiaye’s medical expenses.
So far, no details have emerged about how the viral letter was first made public.
Our hearts go out to Jiaye’s family. We hope she makes a full recovery and that she gets a fair shot at a happy and healthy life.
Raise truly compassionate kids, just like the Chinese girl with cancer who wanted to help her dad
Image source: File photo
Though Jiaye didn’t grow up privileged, she truly has a giving heart. Her generosity is seen in how she is willing to do whatever it takes to help her father, even if it means making a tremendous sacrifice.
You too can encourage similar compassion in your kids in simple ways every day. Here are some compassion-fostering tips from parenting and child development expert Jim Taylor, PhD.
1. Make a habit of talking to your child about compassion
Instilling values in kids isn’t an instant process. When it comes to teaching concepts like compassion, use daily examples and reminders. It should be an ongoing discussion.
Explore different ways compassion can be expressed through the media your child consumes or even simply discussing what happened in school.
2. Surround your child with compassionate people
Though you can’t fully control who influences your child in school, you can help influence their mindset and attitude.
Make sure you allow them to interact with relatives who inspire good values. Peer influences are also important in a child’s life. So make sure they only watch good TV shows and foster friendships with kind, caring kids.
3. Encourage them to apply what they learned about compassion
Concretise compassion by encouraging kids to engage in acts of kindness. For example, helping mum with a chore, or helping a younger sibling with schoolwork are just a few things your kids can do.
You can inspire them to be of help to their community by doing volunteer work. This teaches them that, although they are young, they have time, resources, and talents to offer that can enrich the lives of others.
Be sure to constantly discuss how these acts made them feel. This helps maintain an ongoing dialogue about the subject, deepening their understanding of what compassion truly means.
How would you raise a selfless and compassionate kid, mums and dads? Let us know in the comments below.
Sources: South China Morning Post, Channel News Asia
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