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A story of strong family dedication gained attention in Xinxiang, China, after 11-year-old Lu Zikuan changed his own eating routine to help his father. The boy began eating at least five meals a day after doctors discovered he was the only compatible family member to donate bone marrow to Lu Yanheng, who was diagnosed with leukemia. The family received medical guidance because the boy needed to reach at least 45 kilograms to become a donor. The weight considered ideal by the team would be 50 kilograms, but at that time, Zikuan weighed only 30 kilograms.
Medical compatibility placed the boy at the center of the treatment
The discovery of compatibility changed the family’s routine and turned Zikuan into the main hope for the transplant. The father had been living with leukemia for seven years and was undergoing medication treatment. However, according to family reports, the health condition worsened in August of last year, when Lu Yanheng needed blood transfusions. From then on, the need for the transplant gained strength, and the boy began a personal race to reach the minimum required weight.
Five meals a day accelerated weight gain
The new diet started to include frequent meals, mainly with rice and fattier meats. The goal was to make the boy gain weight quickly, without losing focus on the bone marrow transplant. With the change, Zikuan reached 43 kilograms and got closer to the target set by the doctors. Meanwhile, the boy’s mother, who works in a market, used discounted meats to reinforce her son’s diet and maintain the necessary routine in a healthy way.
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Physical change drew attention within the school
The weight gain also prompted comments among schoolmates. Some students began calling Zikuan “pangzi,” a word used in Chinese for “chubby.” Teacher Zhao Meng-meng said that the teasing decreased after the students discovered the reason for the physical change. Despite this, the boy stated that he was not bothered by the comments. “Save my father first, lose weight later”, he declared to the local press.
Mobilization grew after the case gained repercussion
The school started a campaign to raise funds and help the family during the treatment. On social media, internet users also reacted to the boy’s attitude and praised his courage. A user identified as Kongwei Wizard wrote that Zikuan carried a great responsibility at such a young age. The case then came to be seen as an example of affection, sacrifice, and family unity in the face of a delicate situation.
The boy’s courage in a broader context
Zikuan’s attitude drew attention because it involved a difficult physical change for an 11-year-old child. The boy had to change his diet, face comments at school, and maintain the goal of helping his father during leukemia treatment. The story also showed how the family, the school, and internet users mobilized around the same hope.
The impact of such a young family decision
The journey of the boy reveals how a medical condition can transform the routine of an entire family. Zikuan still needed to reach the weight indicated by doctors, but he had already progressed from 30 to 43 kilograms. With this, he approached the possibility of donating bone marrow to his father.
