The Chinese Zhiying family face their ultimate breaking point when they learn they can no longer afford the medical bills needed to save their 7-month-old son, Yiwei, who is fighting for his life, reported by Daily Mail. Since birth, Yiweir has dealt with the repercussions of brain damage called hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. HIE is a type of brain damaged developed when the brain doesn’t receive enough oxygen at birth. You can learn more about HIE here. Father, Du, a migrant worker and former farmer, was seen begging the doctor to continue treating his son even though they can no longer pay.
Medical bills are exceptionally high for any brain related injury or disease, and the Zhiying family is facing their worst fears. They have borrowed more than $27,000 to afford the handful of medication and surgeries required to prolong the life of their child. Every day they are being bombarded by loan sharks, yet every day they are needing more money to keep Yiweir alive.
When Yiweir was born they treated the child upon birth for about two weeks before he was discharged. Yet, only a handful of months later, Yiweir experienced intense symptoms of diarrhea and he was in a constant stay of lethargy. They quickly went back to seek out medical attention and doctors claimed little Yiweir suffered from multiple brain diseases and they suggested he get surgery immediately. The family borrowed over $10,000 and went through with the surgery only to learn a couple weeks later that Yiwei had not been fully healed. So back to the hospital they went.
Yiwei underwent yet another operation in August, and now they are being told in order for their son to live, he will need a lot more medical attention for operations and treatments, all of which would cost more than $67,000. A steep price that after all of these expense they most certainly cannot afford.
Thankfully, with the help of a volunteer, the family set up an online funding campaign to raise the money they desperately need to save Yiweir’s life. Incredibly enough, they have raised over half the funds they need so far. The fund raising push continues and one can only hope they reach their destination!
