

The heartwarming story of an 81-year-old woman from Fujian, who began looking after a paralyzed boy 37 years ago when he was abandoned by his own parents, has won the admiration of netizens across China since the story went viral.

According to local media, Zhuang Moli worked as a nanny 37 years ago for a couple living in Hong Kong. She accompanied them when they returned to their hometown in Fujian province to give birth to their child.



The couple’s newborn son was paralyzed at birth and suffered from severe muscular atrophy. Because his skinny body made his head look bigger than average, he earned the nickname “big head.”

When he was just one month old, his parents gave up on him and returned to Hong Kong.



Zhuang, however, decided not to abandon him. Instead she brought him to her own home and looked after him for 37 years, despite already having four mouths of her own to feed.

Her impoverished family had an even tougher time after Zhuang’s husband died from an illness when “big head” was around eight years old.

To care for her adopted son, Zhuang has depended on money provided by the government, supplemented by income she earned while collecting scrap.

The two currently live together in a makeshift kitchen which is only around ten square meters. Zhuang has turned down invitations to live with her family, worried about what effect the move would have on “big head.”



Zhuang’s kind-heartedness has proven an inspiration to those around her in the community, and she hopes that her children will share her values and continue to care for others after she is gone.

As Zhuang gets older, she has begun to rely upon her daughter-in-law for help. During a recent stay in hospital, she volunteered to take care of “big head.”

“Chickens and ducks deserve to be saved, this is even more true when it comes to people. Once I saw him, I knew I could not give up on him,” Zhuang told reporters.

By Lucy Liu

[Images via cnr.cn]

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