Cancer-stricken student, 9, takes exam in hospital bed

A 9-year-old boy with cancer was so eager not to miss an end-of-term exam that he took it while recovering from surgery in the hospital, Qianjiang Evening News reported.

Xu Yuntao from Quzhou, Zhejiang province, who has been receiving treatment since being diagnosed with lower intestinal cancer last month, took his exam in his hospital bed.

He has already had one operation at Zhejiang Children’s Hospital, and more are expected.

“His legs used to be stronger than mine, and I never thought he would lose so much weight in this way,” said Wang Chunyun, the boy’s mother, who said Xu has lost about 10 kilograms since being diagnosed.

Even though he is wracked by chronic pain, Xu has continued to study and told his mother to bring him books like The Little Prince. Whenever the pain and discomfort subside for a while, he tries to squeeze in several chapters.

“I don’t want to miss schooling,” Xu said.

He insisted on taking the same exam as his classmates at Changshan Elementary School and asked his mother to contact his teacher to see if he could take the test in the hospital, a wish he was granted.

Wang was anxious. Considering his surgical scars, she urged her son to take a break if he felt uncomfortable.

However, Xu paid no heed and continued with his exam. He sat on the bed for 70 minutes despite normally being able to only remain in such a position for 20 minutes a day.

Xu’s efforts paid off as he scored 95 on the exam.

After learning that he didn’t get a perfect score, Xu wanted to check his mistakes. “This is my final test for the semester, and I don’t want the class to be held back by me,” he said.

Like most families, Xu’s parents are under tremendous financial pressure to pay for necessary treatment. “I’ve asked others in the hospital and it will likely cost at least 400,000 yuan ($62,600),” Wang said, with tears in her eyes.

“Even though we are not rich, we can still survive and find a way to raise my son. But now I find myself sinking into a gloomy state.”

Answering the call, Xu’s school has since raised 50,000 yuan for him, and another 60,000 yuan has been collected through qschou.com, an online charitable fundraising platform.

“Xu’s tough and outgoing. Even though he’s critically ill, there’s a possibility of recovery,” said Xu Xiaojun, the attending doctor from his hospital.

Zhang Zhaoqing contributed to this story.