LRS Surgery: Poor Cheng Fang

Little Red Scarf is an NGO that sponsors congenital heart surgeries for diseased children.

Cheng Fang is 29 this year. When she worked as a housekeeper in 2012, she always suffered from palpitations and shortness of breath. The kind employer took her to hospital. She was diagnosed congenital heart disease. There are 4 persons in her family. Her husband fell from the cliff when he was grazing cow in 2006. It had been 5 hours when he was found. Because of severe trauma in the head, and the best treatment time was missed, his intelligence was hurt. He acted like a child. 

About 60,000 RMB was spent for his husband’s hospital bills. Cheng Fang collected 30,000 RMB and borrowed 30,000 RMB for this sum. Her husband woke up after 26 days of coma, but the family sank deeply in debt.

Cheng Fang and her families living in poor condition.

It was a blow for Cheng Fang’s father in law. He was ill in bed for half year and passed away. Her elder son was 3 at that time and the younger son was born. The burden of the whole family fell on her shoulders. She had to take two children to the field when she worked in the field. Her husband has not recovered completely, so she had to take care of her husband for food. And her sons also need her attention during the meals. When she helped them fish the food, her food became cool.  

After the house was sold, the family had to live in the yard of their neighbor. Now they had a shabby shelter which anyway can protect them from the wind and rain. Her husband began to take care of himself, but there is still 30,000RMB of debt. The two children had to be left to her mother. She managed to find a job as a housekeeper in the city. The debt had been paid off in the end of 2012. She was diagnosed as congenital heart disease before she could feel relieved. 

Cheng Fang said her tears have dried. What she really worried about is her husband and sons.

Original article by Yujie Yun, translated by Maggie Li, edited by Yanyan Zhang