‘My heart aches’: China girl, 5, dies of liver disease despite transplant from heartbroken father, triggering widespread public sympathy
- Girl endures serious genetic condition, painful treatment, transplant surgery
- Devoted single parent, migrant worker stages desperate life-saving bid
The tragic story of a five-year-old girl who died despite having transplant surgery when her devoted father – a single parent – donated part of his liver to her, has triggered an outpouring of online sympathy.
The health of Yiling, the little girl’s nickname, deteriorated rapidly on December 23 and she sadly passed away three days later at a hospital in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, according to a report by Red Star News.
The family attracted widespread attention last year when the father, surnamed Liang, who is a migrant worker, donated a section of his liver to give his daughter the chance to recover from her life-threatening illness.
Yiling was diagnosed with cholestasis in July 2022, a disease caused by a genetic mutation.
Her condition was so serious that her liver had become damaged and doctors recommended transplant surgery.
A successful operation took place in October and the little girl was discharged from hospital, returning to live with her father in their village in Wushan, a county administered by Chongqing municipality.
Liang stayed home to look after his daughter, giving up his usual employment to scrape a living selling products on social media and relying on donations to cover Yiling’s medical costs.
The 28-year-old said he and the girl’s mother had divorced in 2020 because they did not get on.
According to Liang’s post on social media, her mother did not visit Yiling at hospital or at home when she was ill.
After the little girl passed away, her heartbroken father wrote about their relationship and his deep love for his daughter on social media.
“Dear Yiling, we have accompanied each other for five and a half years. But now you have gone to a place far away without me,” Liang wrote.
“My heart aches and my home does not exist now that you are no longer in it. How shall I live in future?” he added.
He closed the donation channel and removed all products from his online account because he said it was pointless having money without his daughter to look after. He said he hoped his child would rest in peace.
“My little girl was so poorly. Now she will not suffer the pain of her illness or the treatment,” he said.
Mainland social media empathised with the distraught parent.
“You have cut your own liver. You have tried your best to take her to seek medical treatment. You are a good father, much better than many others. I hope there is no illness in heaven,” read one comment that received 48,000 likes.
“He is a great father. He is so young, but is very responsible,” said another message that received 9,000 likes.
In March last year, the story of a mother in central Hubei province trended on social media after she donated her liver to save the life of her one-year-old son.
