Suffered from malignant osteosarcoma at the age of 13, and did 36 chemotherapy sessions, but still worked hard and was admitted to undergraduate... After the start of the 2020 Yangtze Evening News student assistance program, more than 700 applications have been received, of which, they have been fighting cancer for nearly ten years Shen Yixin is moving. On August 8, a reporter from the Yangtze Evening News came to Shen Yixin's home. Shen Yixin's story made people cry.
Yangtze Evening News/Ziniu News reporter Jiang Jingyi Xia Yaming
Intern Liu Lingyun video editor Xu Qianqian
Shen Yixin with a cane
Fighting cancer for nearly 10 years
13-year-old suffering from bone cancer in his right leg, pained to sleepless nights but never screamed
On August 7th, the reporter met Shen Yixin in the lobby of a hotel in Nanjing. He was on crutches, wearing glasses, and wearing a T-shirt. Compared with his peers, his face was heavier. In 2000, Shen Yixin was born in an ordinary family in Qinnan Town, Yandu District, Yancheng City. On weekdays, his parents worked in the surrounding areas of Yancheng for Shen Yixin and his sister to study. In 2012, a disaster struck the family. In the second semester of the sixth grade, 13-year-old Shen Yixin always complained of leg pain. His father Shen Longgang took him to the Third People's Hospital of Yancheng City. The result was like a thunderbolt. It turned out that there was an osteosarcoma on the kneecap of his right leg.
This is a primary malignant bone tumor. Immediately, Shen Longgang and his wife took Shen Yixin to the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital for treatment. Since then, everything has changed. The school life that was supposed to be spent in school playing around with classmates has become an anti-cancer life spent in hospitals and chemotherapy. Needle biopsy is the first step in diagnosing malignant tumors and benign tumors. "At that time, I didn’t know what a puncture was. I hadn’t experienced anything. It was very difficult. The first night after the operation was so painful that I was so embarrassed to shout out. I am afraid of affecting other patients." Shen Yixin calmly recounted the days when he was so painful that he couldn't sleep.
For the osteosarcoma of the right leg, Shen Yixin received a total of 20 chemotherapy before and after the procedure. “First, 8 chemotherapy before the operation to suppress the shrinkage of cancer cells. Then the inactivated replantation operation was performed, and another 12 chemotherapy was performed after the operation.” Reporter It is understood that the "knee joint inactivated replantation operation" performed by Shen Yixin is that the doctor cuts the diseased part of the right leg, removes the bone, removes the tumor on it, disinfects and kills the cancer cells, and puts it back into the body. This also means that this bone can no longer grow and can only play a certain supporting role.
One major cycle of chemotherapy is divided into four small cycles, and one small cycle takes an average of 3 weeks. To facilitate the chemotherapy and rest of the child, Shen Longgang rented a very simple house next to the hospital. Compared with chemotherapy, Shen Yixin said that the pain of surgery is actually a "trivial thing." "The pain of surgery will get better after more than a week, but the chemotherapy will cause dizziness, vomiting, can't eat food, and can't read books." The process is cycle after cycle, lasting almost a year and a half.
Misfortune again at the age of 17, the left leg was also diagnosed with bone cancer
Illness, cancer, and a year and a half of chemotherapy did not stop Shen Yixin from studying. After his condition stabilized, he returned to the town’s junior high school. "There is no way out if I don't go to school. I can't do physical work. I can only go to school." Shen Yixin told reporters that about 1 million yuan has been spent on medical treatment, and his parents have started desperately to make money to pay off debts and put him in foster care at his aunt's house. "My aunt's house lives on the fourth floor. Every day, my aunt carries me upstairs and downstairs and takes me to school in a wheelchair." After three years of unremitting efforts, Shen Yixin was admitted to the four-star key high school Yancheng Longgang Middle School.
However, the joy of finishing the high school entrance examination did not last long, and a sense of pessimism and despair came to my face. Shen Yixin’s application materials read: “In the fall semester of 2016, I was ready to enter high school with joy. The disaster struck again, and my left leg was also diagnosed with malignant osteosarcoma, and I had to go to seek medical advice with my parents again. Four years ago, during the difficult treatment process of chemotherapy, surgery, and re-chemotherapy, after nearly a year of struggle with death, he finally got his life back and left a second-degree severe disability."
When he learned that his son had bone cancer in his left leg again, the strong Shen Long just cried on the spot in the hospital. Since 2016, Shen Yixin has done 16 more chemotherapy sessions due to bone cancer in his left leg. In addition to the first time, a total of 36 chemotherapy sessions were performed, and the hair and eyebrows fell off 4 times.
"I just got sick, and when I got better, I went back to study"
The disease seemed to try his best to torture the poor family. Shen Yixin, who once again walked away from the ghost gate during the second high school winter vacation, found the steel plate and steel nails in his left knee exposed to the skin. The doctor found that the fixed steel nails were broken. Because the body cannot withstand the operation again, the broken bones can only be sutured directly. In the summer of the second year of high school, according to the doctor's plan, the left leg had an artificial knee replacement operation. The knee replacement surgery this time was a "trivial matter" that Shen Yixin said, "It has no other effects except pain, no dizziness, no vomiting."
As long as Shen Yixin on the hospital bed is not dizzy, he will open the book to study. Affected by the condition, I went to high school for only one and a half years after three years. He missed the first and second rounds of review, and he only stayed in school for 45 days in his senior year. "The teacher asked him to review at home, but he was afraid that the results would not be good at home, so he had to go to the classroom. In the last 45 days before the college entrance examination, his father sent him to school through rain or shine." Shen Yixin's cousin told reporters, "He took the 219 exam It was under a lot of pressure. In the end, I sprinted for 320 points and BB+."
"As long as you are in good health, you will study seriously. I have never thought of being inferior to others or worse than others." Shen Yixin was not satisfied with his college entrance examination results. "My former classmates have all scored about 360 points in the exam, if not sick , I will do better in the exam.” When filling in the volunteer, Shen Yixin applied for the accounting major of Wenzheng College of Soochow University and planned to take the postgraduate entrance examination. "I know I can't do any strenuous work, but I want to realize my greatest value." In order to support my son in college, the family has also made plans for my mother to rent a house around the school to accompany him.
Future plan
After the college entrance examination with a cane, I want to go out and have a look
I still want to go abroad to see
Since falling ill at the age of 13, Shen Yixin has lived a three-pointed life at school, home and hospital. Whether it is physical or financial conditions at home, he is not allowed to travel far. After the college entrance examination this year, he liked the history of the Qin Dynasty and proposed to go to Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors. At the beginning, Shen Long refused his son’s request. “I don’t worry about his health, and the financial conditions of the family do not allow us to take him out.” But this is the first time his son has asked. Shen Longgang said bitterly, “He was very lively when he was young. Outgoing, especially loves to laugh, but now I don’t talk much, let alone laugh."
In the end, despite being worried, Shen Longgang decided to let him go out to relax. After hearing about this, the 24-year-old cousin who worked in Nanjing put down his work and took him to Nanjing, preparing to set off for Xi'an from Nanjing. Because Shen Yixin can only exercise lightly, not tired. Sister Shen Xiaoli, who has just worked for a year, also immediately took annual leave to take care of her younger brother. "After arriving in Nanjing on August 6, I took him to the Confucius Temple, and I took a few steps to feel it. On the 7th, I went to Nanjing Museum for 30 minutes and came back. He saw everything fresh and kept taking it. Looking at the camera." Shen Yixin's cousin told reporters.
When asked "What do I want to do most in the future", Shen Yixin finally had a smile on his face, "I want to go abroad to see it."
Family contribution
To raise money to save grandson
71-year-old grandfather cleaning the river in heavy rain
The story in the ward is not a fairy tale. Shen Longgang told reporters that many young patients in the same ward with Shen Yixin either died or had their limbs amputated. "The child is very strong. Ordinary people may not be able to withstand seven or eight courses of chemotherapy. He gritted his teeth and endured it. The doctor said he was a miracle. Every time he reviewed him, he would take pictures as a teaching material to encourage other patients."
On the afternoon of the 8th, the reporter went to Shen Yixin's home in the rain. Speaking of grandson, 72-year-old grandma Wang Shuying kept tears in her eyes. More than 1.5 million yuan was spent before and after the diagnosis and treatment, which is an astronomical figure for an ordinary family. The village and school also raised donations for Shen Yixin, and currently owes more than 300,000 yuan in foreign debt. Father Shen Longgang has been doing physical work on the construction site, so he dared not take a break. Mother Shi Kouhong took advantage of his son's college entrance examination to take the summer vacation and went to the restaurant to do odd jobs. The village cadres found grandfather Shen Fuhai a job to clean up the river, 1,000 yuan a month. Grandpa cherishes this job. When the reporter came, the 71-year-old grandpa was still working in the rain.
Because osteosarcoma is a malignant bone tumor, in August and September every year, Shen Long just takes Shen Yixin for review. "Never thought of giving up, we must do our best to let him go." Facing his son's illness, Shen Longgang did not shrink or give up. "The only sad thing is that I feel ashamed of my parents. We middle-aged people should let their parents enjoy the blessings, but my parents are still trying their best to make money these years." When he mentioned that he failed to let his parents enjoy their old age, this father Choked up.