There is nothing more tragic than a person dying young — and there is nothing harder for a parent than letting go.
Can you imagine the heartache a parent faces when they, too, have a life-threatening illness? This nightmare was a reality for 34-year-old Zhou Lu, who contracted kidney disease around the same time her doctors found a malignant tumor on her five-year-old son Chen Xiatian's brain.
The Daily Mail reported that the pair battled together for two years, with Zhou needing daily dialysis and her young son requiring around-the-clock care. Despite early signs of recovery, Chen's brain cancer took a turn for the worse. He lost his sight and was nearly paralyzed — but even though doctors warned he wouldn't make it, Zhou refused to listen.
At seven years old, Chen lost his battle to cancer, but he made one wish before he died: He wanted his mother to take his kidney, which doctors said could save her life. At first, Zhou refused, but her brave young boy wouldn't take no for an answer and, with tears in her eyes, she accepted her son's last request.
When Chen passed, one of his kidneys was donated to his mother, while his second kidney went to a 21-year-old girl and his liver to a 27-year-old man. The Daily Mail reported that, according to hospital spokesman Yi Tai, all three surgeries were successful.
Tai noted that "the medical team held a brief moment of prayer and silence for the poor child before the transplant, I think it's fair to say there were very few dry eyes."
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