Daily Lessons from Life 26 March 2011 - Man taunts mum in need

"Man taunts mum in need - AsiaOne Sat, Mar 26, 2011

GUANGZHOU, CHINA - A webpage designer from China has been fired from his job after it was revealed that he taunted and made fun of a mother who sent out a plea for donations on a social networking site, Tianya (www.tianyayidu.com).

A post on the site revealed that the mother, Xie Sanxiu, came from Jingzhou, Hubei to Guangzhou to seek treatment for her six-month-old baby daughter, Shanshan.

Shanshan suffers from malignant retinoblastoma, a form of childhood eye cancer. Xie had exhausted all her savings on seeking treatment for her child. However, she could not continue treatment at the Children's Hospital in Guangzhou and the Zhongshan Opthalmic Hospital, as she still owed the hospitals large sums of money.

She then posted a plea for help on a popular Chinese social networking site to ask for donations in order to continue treatment.

Her plea caught the attention of a netizen, named ""Guangzhou Fu Gongzi" (Guangzhou's Rich Man), who set Xie a challenge in return for a 20,000 yuan (S$3,800) donation from him.

He wrote in a post: "There are so many people in the world that need help, why must I help you? You say you are willing to exchange your life with your child's health, who believes you?

"If you can kneel and crawl on the road for 1,000 metres, I will immediately give you 20,000 yuan."

The 34-year-old mother took up his challenge and got down on her knees along a main street in Guangzhou on March 22. A moderator on the social networking site, "Jinquan Shao Xia" (Jin Quan's Young Knight), who learned that Xie was intending to make the 1,000m crawl, then informed Guangzhou Daily, the provincial newspaper.

A Guangzhou Daily reporter who rushed to the scene found Xie crawling towards the Tianhe Sports Centre with her baby in her arms. At least three other photographers also went to the scene.

But "Jinquan Shao Xia" later told the reporters that "Guangzhou Fu Gongzi" was reluctant to donate the promised sum, despite knowing what Xie had done.

Netizens who were following the story later pointed out that there were various similarities between both Jinquan Shao Xia" and "Guangzhou Fu Gongzi".

Daily Chilli also reported that a Tianya spokesman affirmed that the two people were the same persons, and the networking site said it has already sacked the webpage designer for his irresponsible act."

Social Networking has been credited with a lot of 'positive' changes recently by the American and some North Africa and Middle Eastern countries' commentators. e.g. the Tunisia's Jasmine Revolution, the Egypt's demise of Mubarak, etc.

Well, it can be abused. Just like another other online stuffs. Just to keep a proper perspective.

Lessons for me are:

1. there will always be people in need of help in this world. Diverse people, diverse needs and diverse lifestyles;

2. those who have, must not forget the have-nots. I don't expect everyone who have to help the have-nots if they are not interested. It is a personal choice. But to taunt and renegade on a promise after making the have-nots went through some hardship, you better pay up!! Called it pay for performance. Called it whatever you like. You pay someone when he or she delivered his or her part of the bargain! - if you want to be mercenary about this!;

3. may this man be punished severely unless he turned over a new leaf and really go out to help another 1000 people in needs. 1 person for 1 metre made by that young mother to help her kid!

If you don't want to help, stay away. Nobody will blame you!!