7-year-old girl in China cares for father battling heart disease, sparks online sympathy

A 7-year-old girl in China, who has been caring for her father as he battles heart disease, has sparked online sympathy and prompted donations after her story went viral. 

In a video shared to Douyin on Jan 17, a man can be seen explaining that while visiting his own father in hospital, he noticed a young girl tending to her father in the bed opposite. 

When he approached to ask where the girl's mother was, she replied that her parents were divorced, prompting the man to later ask for her contact details, saying that he wanted to help her. 

At the time, the girl, identified as San Mengru (transliteration), was caring for her father, who is in his 40s, at a local hospital in Heilongjiang, Harbin, reported Hong Kong publication South China Morning Post (SCMP). 

San also told the man, who is known only by his surname Pei, that her grandmother, who is over 70 years old, is unable to travel to the hospital every day and that her other relatives are migrant workers in other cities. 

According to Pei, San helps care for her father's daily needs by making his medical appointments, finding doctors or nurses when needed, collecting test results, and buying meals, reported SCMP. 

Pei noted an incident when his father had to be transferred to another hospital in the area and, before he left, he sent money to San via a social media app, along with some fruit and boxes of milk. 

"I have many problems in my own life, but I cannot bear to see other people suffer," said Pei. 

Given the circumstances, the hospital where San's father is being treated has also reportedly reduced his medical bills, taking the family's financial situation into consideration. 

Although the girl's father has since been discharged from the hospital and his condition has improved, he shared that he still occasionally needs someone to run errands. 

Under the comments section, several netizens praised the girl for her sensibility and expressed sympathy for her situation. 

"How can I donate money? I want to donate. The little girl is very cute and sensible," said one user. 

"Children from poor families understand life early. Other kids her age are spoiled by their parents, but she has to be the pillar of her family," added another user. 

The video has garnered 12 million views across several social media platforms, according to SCMP. 

@asiaone San Mengru may just be 7 years old but she is her father's caregiver - making his medical appointments, finding doctors or nurses when needed, collecting test results and buying meals. Her parents are divorced. #news #China #Child #Father #GrowingUp #Caregiver ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com