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A 17-year-old teenager with cerebral palsy in China allegedly passed away after he was left alone at home with no one to care for him, Beijing Youth Daily reported.
Passed away on Jan. 29
Beijing Youth Daily confirmed with the local government in Huahe town, located in Hubei Province’s Hong’an County, that the teen passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Returned home to celebrate the Spring Festival
News of the teen’s death first circulated on the Chinese intranet when Dami & Xiaomi, a WeChat platform advocating for families of children with intellectual disabilities, published a report that claimed that Yan Cheng had died after being left alone at home for six days.
According to the report, Yan Cheng’s father, Yan Xiaowen, brought his two sons back to Huahe town on Jan. 17 to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
His younger son suffered from autism.
Father and younger son sent away to be quarantined
However, three days after returning home, Yan Xiaowen came down with a fever.
The report then claimed that Yan and his youngest son were sent to a quarantine site to be isolated as they were suspected to have been infected with the novel coronavirus.
Yan Cheng, however, was left alone at home as he had not exhibited any symptoms of the virus.
According to Dami & Xiaomi, local authorities claimed the teen ate on Jan. 24 and 26.
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Aunt fed him on two days
In addition, Yan Cheng’s aunt told them she fed Yan on Jan. 23 and 24 when she visited him.
She had even helped change his diaper on her second visit.
However, as she was not feeling well the next few days, she stopped visiting him.
When she went back again on Jan. 28, she noted that his condition had deteriorated.
She told Dami & Xiaomi: “He was lying down with no support to his head, his mouth and face were dirty, as well as under his blanket.”
She added: “I wiped his mouth and face clean, changed his diaper, fed him half a cup of water and some rice before he refused to eat anymore.”
Boy’s father appealed for help
Dami & Xiaomi also posted a screenshot of a post that was allegedly written by the teen’s father.
The post, posted on Tuesday, Jan. 28, under the Weibo handle “Hubei Hongan Disabled Boy’s Father Yan Xiaowen”, claimed that he was put under quarantine.
In the post, he mentioned that both his sons had intellectual disabilities, and that his elder son was already left alone at home without anyone to help him.
His post read:
“My eldest son has cerebral palsy, and can’t move his body. He can’t talk, he can’t look after himself. He has already been by himself at home for six days with no one to take care of him.
Without someone feeding him, and without a protective suit from the local authorities and hospital, I worry that my child can’t make it any longer.
Everyone, please help send a protective suit to my home in Hubei Province’s Hong’an County!”
Father’s plea for help allegedly taken down
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP) reporter Laurie Chen, the father’s Weibo post was later deleted.
While in quarantine, the father posted a desperate appeal for help for his son, who was unable to feed or wash himself without assistance. The father’s Weibo account was later deleted. pic.twitter.com/oY7ScAJ4e4
— Laurie Chen (@lauriechenwords) January 30, 2020
Beijing Youth Daily further reported that Yan Cheng was supposed to be reunited with his family at the quarantine site on Jan. 29.
However, he had passed away that very afternoon.
Local government looking into death
A representative for the local government reportedly said the County Government of Hong’an County has already assembled an investigative team to look into the incident.
The government official said it was “impossible” for the government to have left a child with cerebral palsy alone at home with no one to take care of him.
He reportedly said: “But it’s true that the child had passed away, the higher-ups will investigate us, so there will naturally be a just explanation as to how this had happened.”
Top image via Dami & Xiaomi/WeChat
