It is with sadness that we report that Liang Liang has passed away in China. Although the bone marrow donation by his sister was a perfect match the doctors were unable to save him, let us all hope that some lessons and some other good will come from this little soul's passing. We all did a lot to help Liang Liang and his family and his father will always remember the generosity of strangers who came to his aid under desperate circumstances. We thank you all for supporting this cause and rest assured, we will continue to find ways in which good can be gained from his short life. Perhaps targeting early diagnosis and showing the terrible results of late diagnosis could be a worthwile area to investigate for grant funding.
We thank the many who have continued to support Liang Liang's cause thru the last several months.
Great Update December 1, 2005In early December Liang Liang received his bone marrow transplant using his sister's bone marrow. He is doing well. The transplant will take a number of months before it is known to have been fully successful. We are all very hopeful. Happy Holidays.
We continue our quest to complete the $50,000 commitment to cover Liang Liang's hospitalization and transplant operation.
Update September 28, 2005On September 28, America's Baby Cancer Foundation was able to wire transfer another $12,000 USD to Beijing to continue to pay for Liang Liang's treatment. We are continuing to received additional contributions and transfers will continue to be made on a regular basis until we meet our $50,000 goal which will cover the entire cost of Liang Liang's bone marrow transplant. A special thank you goes to Golden Merchandise Inc of Hong Kong for their very generous donation.
Update August 24, 2005We are happy to announce that on Monday August 22, 2005 America's Baby Cancer Foundation was able to wire transfer $12,000 USD to Beijing to continue to pay for Liang Liang's treatment. Additional funds are being received and additional transfers will continue to be made on a regular basis until we meet our $50,000 goal which will cover the entire cost of the bone marrow transplant.
GOOD NEWS, it has been found that Liang Liang's sister is a perfect bone marrow match, so when appropriate the transplant operation can take place. Liang Liang continues to receive treatment and good nutrition which will prepare him for the actual transplant.
Many thanks to all of you who so generously have supported our efforts to provide treatment for Liang Liang. We will continue to update the site. Please come back.
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Imagine a father so desperate to save his cancer stricken son that he would attempt suicide to make his own organs available for donation hoping to provide for his son's treatment.
Click here for Liang Liang's story.When Liang Liang first began to feel sick, his father, Sun Jing, couldn't afford diagnosis until local villagers collected enough money for Liang Liang to consult with doctors. He was found to have leukemia. His father could not afford treatment and although the villagers once again provided some money and Liang Liang's sister gave up her studies to take a job; it simply was not enough to treat Liang Liang. Sun Haidong ("Liang Liang" to his friends) grew up in Shandong Province in East China. His family is hardworking but poor, making about $120.00 per month from farming.
In desperation Sun Jing decided on a plan to sell his own organs but this would mean he would have to commit suicide. He swallowed 48 sleeping pills and left a note requesting that his organs be sold after his death and the money devoted to Liang Liang's cure. Fortunately, he was found before the pills silenced his heart forever, and transported to the hospital where doctors sprang to action to save his life. Upon regaining consciousness, his desolation was complete as he had no funds to save his son and his only way of raising the money had been snatched from him by fate - his fate to live while watching his beloved son die slowly and painfully.
America's Baby Cancer Foundation's Founder, Bernard Hicks, happened to be in Beijing on unrelated business when he bought a copy of China Daily at a news stand and read about Sun Jing's and Liang Liang's story. Bernard immediately contacted the reporter and arranged to meet with Liang Liang's father in Beijing. The meeting included members of the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, who had also been so moved by Sun Jing's and Liang Liang's story that they had set up a new foundation, The Little Angel Fund, to provide help to poor families with children diagnosed with cancer.
Bernard, who had lost his own son, Sebastian, to cancer understands the helplessness a parent can feel watching a precious child sicken and die. He offered to use ABCF's resources to try to raise $50,000, the amount needed to treat Liang Liang, and entered into an agreement with the Chinese Red Cross to establish a mutual fundraising effort to benefit both America's Baby Cancer Foundation and The Little Angel Fund.
Bernard also traveled to the hospital to meet Liang Liang's family and offer his heartfelt encouragement to Sun Jing. While there he met with Chinese officials and the Chinese media and the story was featured in newspapers, TV and radio throughout China with front page coverage featuring photographs of Bernard with Liang Liang and his family.
Many Chinese have responded to this touching story by offering their support and gratitude in a variety of ways. A famous music composer joined with a popular singer to co-produce a song about Bernard and Sun Jing entitled "My Good Father" (translated). A small boy traveled hundreds of miles to meet Bernard and donate all the money he had saved - the equivalent of $12 - to Liang Liang's treatment fund, and a small girl gave $15; all large sums of money in a country where middle-class families live on only a few hundred dollars a month.
