Young mother sells her breast milk on sidewalk to raise money for sick daughter

‘People of all ages are accepted, thank you for your support,’ reads the sign held up by her husband

A photo has hit the Chinese internet showing a young mother selling her breast milk on the sidewalk in order to raise money for her sick daughter’s medical treatment.

The photo, which was taken on a street in Shenzhen last week, shows the mother kneeling on the sidewalk breastfeeding an infant while her husband holds up a sign advertising: “Sell breast milk, save daughter. 10 yuan for 1 minute.”

The signboard goes on to describe the couple’s situation: “Hello, I am a healthy 24-year-old who gave birth to a pair of twin daughters. Right now, I’m in urgent need of money to pay for the medical treatment of my seriously ill daughter. I can provide on-site breastfeeding. People of all ages are accepted, thank you for your support.”

At the bottom of the poster, the couple had laid out a photo of their daughter, medical records, and an official poverty assistance certificate.

After seeing the photo, a Southern Metropolis Daily reporter was able to track down the mother, a 24-year-old woman surnamed Tang from Guangxi with a 31-year-old husband from Sichuan who has been working in Shenzhen as a migrant worker for the last 16 years.

The reporter learned that Tang had given birth last month to a pair of twin girls, one of whom was still in the hospital in serious condition.

Last Friday, the hospital released some details about the little girl’s condition, explaining that Tang had given birth at the hospital’s maternity ward on December 17th after being pregnant for just 36 weeks.

While one of the girls was healthy, the other suffered from repeated fevers. Though her vital signs are now stable, she has been diagnosed with septic shock and purulent meningitis, a pair of very serious medical conditions.

But the hospital also added that there had been no delay in treatment due to medical costs and that it was working with the couple so that they could secure financial assistance.

However, in China, government welfare funds can only go so far when faced with extremely pricey hospital bills. Like this couple, many family members have been forced into doing something drastic to help pay for their loved ones’ treatment: from dressing up as Pikachu to peddling sex dolls to even trying to sell their virginity.

Some are even forced into making an more desperate decision. Earlier this month, a sick baby girl was found abandoned in a park in Dongguan with a note from her parents apologizing for what they had done, but explaining that they had simply run out of money and were no longer able to care for her.

[Images via Sina]