Others News
- Boy, 13, opens up heart to disabled classmate
Date: 30-Aug-2007 Sources: (Xinhua Online)
BEIJING, Aug. 29 -- A warm-hearted teenager from Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, is being hailed by the locals as a 'living Lei Feng' for his persistent help with a disabled classmate.
Lei Feng was a model Chinese soldier and cultural icon in the 1960s who symbolized self-sacrifice and devotion to others.
Chen Jie, now 13 and a grade two junior middle school student, has been helping his classmate, Xie Bing, who suffers from a debilitating neuro-muscular disease, since the age of 10.
Everyday after school, Chen visits Xie, helps him with his homework, plays chess with Xie or just spends time talking to him. The two are often unwilling to say goodbye until supper time.
In the beginning, Xie's mother thought it was her son's new game that was attracting Chen to visit them repeatedly, according to the Ningbo-based news portal www.kingboo.net.
But one afternoon, when Xie's mom went to pick him up from school, she saw Chen riding her son home on his bicycle. The following morning, Chen knocked on Xie's door and offered to take Xie to school every day. The 10-year-old also took on the responsibility of looking after him in school.
And for the last four years, Chen has kept his word, no matter how bad the weather, or how bad his health.
Chen usually walks Xie to and from school, holding his hands, as doctors have suggested that exercise is good for him. But when the road is bumpy or muddy, Chen carries Xie on his back, even though he looks thin and small for his age.
Though in the same grade, the two used to be in different classes. To take better care of his friend, Chen applied to be shifted to Xie's class and to share the same desk with him.
Chen never told his parents about Xie even when he got scolded often for returning home late.
It was only recently, after Chen's kindness was reported by local media, that his parents came to know of his special friend. The boy told the news portal that he had to hide the truth from his parents because they would have felt sad for him.
Chen said he had only two wishes: one, that someday soon Xie Bing will get cured and be able to walk independently; two, that he can continue to help Xie and accompany him to university.
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