06/09/2003
China Daily

Life is gradually returning to normal as the number of SARS cases declines in China. But there has been no end to the concern shown towards victims of the disease, including those orphaned by SARS. These children are being embraced by all levels of society, as China Daily staff reporter YU NAN finds out.

May was a horror month for Zhang Yini, a high school student in Beijing.

Within a fortnight last month, the pretty girl lost both of her parents as well as her grandmother to SARS.

Her father Zhang Tao, 45, had been a professor at the College of Engineering with the China Agricultural University for more than 20 years. He developed a high fever at the end of April and passed away on May 10 - the same day Yini's grandma died. Yini's mother, 40, succumbed four days later, leaving the 17-year-old an orphan.

News of the tragedy spread quickly via Internet on the campus of the university where her father taught .

Within a few hours, thousands of messages of support sent by students and teachers poured onto the school's website to comfort the teenager.

A fund-raising campaign, called "Loving Heart Donation," was launched on campus on May 15, one day after Yini's mother died.

The funds raised will help support Zhang Yini in her future life and study, according to Wang Yong from the university, who is in charge of preventing the spread of SARS on campus.

"Not only teachers and students but also security guards and retailers on campus have donated," said Wang. "It was unexpected to find so many who cared about the poor girl."

Wang said parents of other students also gave money, and many alumni had called the school to ask how they could donate.

In just four days, 200,000 yuan (US$24,272) had been collected and handed to Zhang Yini.

In the midst of mourning, Zhang Yini wrote a letter to the school on May 27, a letter that moved many.

Yini wrote: "Dear aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, I was surprised and deeply moved when I received the donation and the tapes recorded with a beautiful song and so many warm messages.

"I've experienced too many things in the past month but the only thing that has not changed is your affection and support for me. Owing to your deep love and great encouragement, I will go forward with my new life and study hard to repay your kindness. Please have faith in me."

The song that Yini mentioned in the letter was called "Beijing With You," which was specially written and performed by a student band for Yini. The song was put on the Internet to be shared with others.

"I hope our song can make her happier and face the future bravely and optimistically," said Lu Qian, a member of the band.

"We were full of sympathy when we wrote the song," Lu said. "But when we saw her brave smile on a picture on the website, most of us cried. We know she needs love more than pity now."

Now living with her aunt, Yini has begun to study at home and prepare for next year's college entrance exam.

Volunteer mothers

Meanwhile in Guangzhou, in South China's Guangdong Province, Luo Zijie, 8, bows in front of the pictures of his parents every day after school.

Luo's mother, called Wei Xiaoling, was a nurse at Guangdong Women-Children Hospital. She died of SARS on February 26. Her husband was also infected with the virus as he took care of her in hospital, eventually dying of the disease before Wei.

"I miss both of them very much but I know they won't come back," said Luo, who is now being cared for by his grandparents.

Jiang Hui and Jiang Tingting, both nurses from Zhongda Hospital of Guangdong Traditional Medicine University, initiated a campaign among their fellow nurses to provide mother-figures for little Luo after they heard his story.

Twenty nurses have agreed to be volunteer mothers to Luo and will send him a monthly stipend from now on.

"You are not alone. We are all your mothers and will forever support you," they said in a letter to their new son.

More than 300,000 yuan (US$36,000) has been donated by the public in Shanghai and Beijing municipalities, Guangdong, Shandong, Zhejiang, Liaoning, Yunnan provinces and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to support Luo into his adult years.

A special website (www. book11.com/jie) has been set up for donors and those who have taken Luo to heart. It provides updates on the 8-year-old and reports on new donations. More than 34,000 people have visited the website so far to show their love for Luo.

Future assured

Another child whose story has attracted attention is Sen'er.

The 11-year-old Beijing girl contracted SARS along with 11 others in her family. The infection spread to her mother, grandmother, aunts and uncles from mid-March, after her father, a Beijing taxi driver, developed a fever and was sent to hospital.

Sen'er recovered from the disease and was discharged from hospital on May 29. However, her parents, grandmother and an uncle have all passed away in the past two months.

Still at primary school and with no means to provide for herself, the girl's future looked bleak.

But she was given new hope just before International Children's Day on June 1. Staff of Epson (China) donated 50,000 yuan (US$6,068) to buy education insurance for her, paying for all her tuition expenses until she finishes college.

"All the staff were worried about Sen'er's future after we heard her family's story and we hope this gift can help her spend a happy Children's Day and guarantee her a bright future," an Epson staff member told Beijing Evening News.