Chinese netizens help boy in US with cancer realize his dream

Dorian Murray and his family on Facebook. [Photo/Asianewsphoto.com]

Thousands of Chinese Internet users are involved in efforts to help an 8-year-old, cancer-stricken boy from the United States to realize his dream.

Dorian Murray of Westerly, Rhode Island, has been receiving regards from Chinese netizens in recent days. Among them are many from Chinese standing on the Great Wall in Beijing and holding signs saying "#D-Strong" and "You are very famous in China."

It is Dorian's dream to be famous in China and to see the Great Wall, which he called "the bridge that people walk on".

Dorian has been fighting rhabdomyosarcoma, a pediatric cancer, since he was 4. Although the disease had been brought under control after a series of painful treatments, a medical checkup early this month found that cancer cells had spread to the boy's spinal cord and brain. The family decided to halt treatment.

Dorian then told his father what he wanted before going to heaven. The conversation between the boy and his father was posted on Facebook, where it was shared and commented upon by thousands of Internet users, including many from China.

Some responded with photos taken at the Great Wall, in which they held signs with words of encouragement. Some left messages beneath the post, saying such things as, "I wish you recover soon", "I will do that for you" and "People in China are delighted to make your dream come true".

After the post was translated into Chinese and spread on China's social networking platforms, even more people were moved by the boy's story and have taken steps to help fulfill his dream.

After hearing Dorian's story, Xu Jin, a Beijing resident, drove 70 kilometers to the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall in north Beijing on Tuesday. There, Xu took some photos according to Dorian's wish and bought a model of the Great Wall and souvenir medals on which the boy's name is engraved.