14 year old girl died of malnutrition, laid-off father regrets

Source: China Hush

(Tianya) Summary: September 26, a 14 year old girl named Xiao Ling (a pseudonym) passed away; the cause of death was shocking: long term malnutrition causing anemia and multiple organ failure. What made Xiao Ling to have such a terrible fate? In 2006 her father got laid off from work and started collecting trash for living. Then her mother passed away in 2007 due to illness, the entire family only had less than 300 yuan income each month. Every meal was just bun and noodles. Xiao Ling was just entering 3^rd grade in junior high this year, when she felt sick she never had the money to go see a doctor, she just rested at home. Until one day her legs really gave out, but when she went to the doctor it was too late, her young life had coming to an end.

Looking at her daughter’s portrait and her cinerary casket, Zhao Liying could not stay seated anymore; he took out her daughter’s things, hugged her portrait and started to cry. In eastern outskirts of Xi’an, 40-year-old Zhao Liying held a bunch of colorful clothes, walked slowly to the trash downstairs and threw all the clothes into the trash. His 14-year-old daughter Xiao Ling (a pseudonym) had just passed away.

When walked into Zhao’s home, the dark room smelled like mold. Zhao’s wife passed away in 2007 due to illness, left him with his daughter, “She just entered 3^rd grade in Junior high, she also went to school on August 30, but never went to class again.” Zhao said, since the new school year his daughter always felt ill. “We didn’t have money so I did not send her to the hospital, only told her to stay home to rest.” Zhao said that he noticed that his daughter started to eat very little food, and always threw up after eating. “On the 24^th, in the morning, my child said her leg was giving out, so I rushed to send her to the hospital.”

Zhao said, “She is my child, but I don’t have money, what was I suppose to do?” His daughter’s cinerary casket was sitting next to the bed, he took out his daughter’s portrait, in the picture, a girl was wearing a school uniform. Zhao just stared quietly. “My child and her mother’s residency are all with her grandmother, I will bury both of their ashes together there.”

“Back then, her mother never worked, but over 1000 yuan can just get by.  Ever since I got laid off in 2006, her mother also was ill, the family was in chaos.” Zhao said after his wife passed away, his daughter became quite and rarely communicated with him.

Zhao said, he collects trash for living every day, “monthly income is only 270 or 280 yuan, simply cannot feed the child.”

The death notice from the Xijing Hospital said, Xiao Ling came to the hospital on 24^th at 11 22am, and passed away at 11:05 am on the 26^th. The diagnosis read, septic shock, cachexia, cause of death was septic shock. Emergency doctor said, Xiao Ling die of long-term malnutrition, which caused anemia and multiple organ failures.

The cartoon Xiao Ling drew when she was alive

Read more at China Hush