"The treatment journey is grueling, but setting everything else aside, as long as our child is still here and our family remains intact, it's worth fighting with all our strength. Besides, things often turn out better than we imagine."
"Life itself is a miracle."
These words were shared online by a parent of a child battling neuroblastoma.
One of the most common malignant solid tumors in early childhood, it is also known as the "King of Childhood Cancers.".
The First "Daddy"
August 17, 2020, was a special day for Meng Tian. His only son, Haoran, had just turned one when he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma six months prior, plunging the family into despair. To bring some joy, Meng Tian and his wife—who hadn't bought anything in nearly a year—took Haoran out. Unexpectedly, they heard their son utter his first "Daddy.". Clutching the new clothes he'd just bought for Haoran, Meng Tian wept uncontrollably. This was the first time he'd called him "Dad," yet Meng couldn't help but wonder if it might be the last.
Meng Tian hails from Heilongjiang, where he runs a small grocery store. After covering rent and utilities, he earns about 4,000 yuan monthly, barely enough to support his family.In March this year, a small lump suddenly appeared at the corner of Haoran's right eye. Following the advice of a doctor at the local maternal and child health hospital, the couple applied warm compresses for a week. Yet, they watched helplessly as the small lump grew into a terrifying purplish-black mass, swelling significantly larger by afternoon than it had been in the morning. Sensing something was terribly wrong, they immediately decided to take their child to Jiamusi City for examination. The result was—stage IV neuroblastoma.
Haoran with his mother
To seek treatment, they first traveled to Tianjin Cancer Hospital after consulting fellow patients. However, due to pandemic restrictions, they were unable to be admitted there. They then rushed overnight to Shandong Cancer Hospital, where Haoran was admitted. After six rounds of chemotherapy, doctors performed his first surgery. He still requires multiple subsequent chemotherapy sessions, surgeries, stem cell collection, and two transplants. The conservative estimate for these treatments is 600,000 yuan.
Meng Tian has already incurred 300,000 yuan in debt for his son's treatment. To raise funds, his 60-year-old father works as a construction truck driver in Shanghai, driving 17 hours daily and keeping only minimal living expenses for himself—even skipping medication when ill. Meng Tian also takes temporary construction jobs nearby during Haoran's stable periods. No matter how difficult, seeing Haoran in the hospital bed, they are determined to persevere.
The Third Child
In Liaocheng, Shandong, Wu Yan—who had long yearned to be a mother—welcomed a new life. She had been pregnant twice before, but her first child had heart problems, and her second had missing bone membranes and deformities. Neither child made it into the world.In 2019, Wu Yan became pregnant again. Early checkups showed no issues, and she and her husband were filled with joy, believing they would finally have a healthy child.
But fate had other plans. During the final prenatal checkup before delivery, doctors discovered the fetus showed signs of a tumor. After nine months of companionship—the first fetal movements, the first kicks against her belly—Wu Yan couldn't bear to part with this child. She ultimately decided to give birth to this hard-won baby. When her daughter arrived, filled with cherishing and blessings, Wu Yan and her husband named her "Yu."
From the moment her child was born, Wu Yan lived in constant anxiety. By the time little Yu was two months old, she still refused to gain weight. Overcome with worry, the couple took her to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma—a life-threatening condition.
They immediately admitted her to Shandong Provincial Cancer Hospital.Little Yu couldn't speak, expressing her discomfort only through wailing cries that tore at Wu Yan's heart. Two rounds of chemotherapy cost nearly 100,000 yuan, depleting the small family's entire savings. Both Wu Yan and her husband came from rural backgrounds—he had worked in a furniture factory, while she was a stay-at-home mother. Their parents were also honest, hardworking farmers.After Xiao Yu fell ill, the couple stayed at the hospital day and night to care for her, completely losing their income.
Like Haoran's grandfather, upon learning his granddaughter needed money for treatment, Xiao Yu's grandfather disregarded his advanced age and took a job at a construction site. He carried a photo of his granddaughter with him, taking it out whenever he grew weary from work. "No matter how hard or difficult it gets, I can endure it—and so can my granddaughter."Wu Yan said she had no expectations beyond her child's health. "If I could raise another 200,000 to 300,000 yuan, perhaps I could save my daughter's life." The Youngest Patient Feifei from Linyi, Shandong, was diagnosed after suffering a fracture.
In August 2019, while playing, Feifei accidentally fell and fractured her leg. Her family initially dismissed it as minor, but starting in September, she developed a persistent high fever that wouldn't break even with IV drips, and her leg became severely crippled. Seeing her condition worsen, her father Xu Yang immediately took her to Jinan.During the holiday season, securing an appointment proved difficult. They eventually traveled to Qingdao, where Feifei was admitted to the hospital. By then, her fever had reached 40 degrees Celsius (104.4°F), her lips were peeling, she coughed incessantly, and she was in a dazed state.
Seven days later, the diagnosis of neuroblastoma was delivered to Xu Yang.Before the stunned parents could process the reality, their daughter was rushed into the intensive care unit. Following emergency treatment, Feifei embarked on the agonizing journey of chemotherapy.
In Feifei's family, her grandfather had undergone a kidney removal and passed away tragically in 2018, while her grandmother lay paralyzed in bed due to a cerebral thrombosis. Now, Feifei became the youngest patient in the household.Compared to other children, Feifei reacted exceptionally severely to the drugs. After her first round of chemotherapy, her hair fell out completely. She couldn't even swallow water, let alone eat. September 13th was Feifei's third birthday. In previous years, she was greeted by her family's warm embrace and gifts. This time, however, she faced illness and uncertainty.
Fei Fei before her illness
After three rounds of chemotherapy, doctors informed Xu Yang that a tumor larger than an egg had grown between her kidneys and required immediate surgical removal. On January 2nd this year, the operation proceeded smoothly. When Fei Fei awoke, she nodded to her parents, giving them hope for recovery and the confidence to face the upcoming transplant.
After caring for three patients, the family's financial situation grew increasingly strained. Most of Feifei's treatment costs were borrowed. Xu Yang, who previously supported the family through renovation work and street-side fruit and vegetable sales, now works overtime in transportation to earn money. Feifei's 20-year-old sister also took a job at a supermarket, setting aside all but 300 yuan of her monthly earnings for her sister's treatment.
22,000 Acts of Support
Three ordinary rural families, one devastatingly daunting illness. Yet for their children, they are all fighting with every ounce of strength.
Facing the crisis of insufficient treatment funds, the parents of Haoran, Xiaoyu, and Feifei independently turned to Shuidichou for help.
Leveraging its unique dual-platform advantage of "fundraising + philanthropy," Shuidichou collaborated with partner charitable foundations to help them raise funds through both the Shuidichou and Shuidigongyi platforms. To date, Haoran has received over 8,000 acts of support, raising more than 160,000 yuan for treatment;Xiaoyu received over 7,000 acts of support, raising 150,000 yuan for treatment; Feifei received nearly 7,000 acts of support, raising 150,000 yuan for treatment.
The rescue efforts continue. Though illness does not lessen due to financial hardship, the convergence of compassion from all quarters can create a new horizon.
(To protect patient privacy, all names in this article are pseudonyms)