A Little Garbage Collector -- A Startling True Story

6/11/2010

Choni Tsultrim

Seven years ago, her father was stricken with chronic hepatitis which required him to take medication for the rest of his life.
Three years ago, her mother was diagnosed with advanced uremia, a crippling disease.
Faced with such hardship, at the age of six years old Gong Linjun, assumed the responsibility of taking care of her mother by collecting garbage.

Now in the third grade, Gong Linjun was born in 2001. Her father Gong Deyi was diagnosed with a mild hepatitis in 2000 and his condition worsened to severe chronic hepatitis in 2003. After spending tens of thousands yuan in the hospital, his condition did not improve.

Three years ago, her mother was pregnant and her hands and legs became swollen. One day her mother had a severe abdominal pain and was diagnosed with advanced uremia which needed immediate medical attention.

Mr. Gong Deyi went back to his home town to borrow money from relatives and friends. It was a great effort to borrow enough money to send his wife to the hospital. Little Linjun went to the hospital and ran directly to her mother's room. She held her mother's hand and cried out loud, “Mother! You cannot die...”

Collecting Garbage and Helping the Family


In order to help his wife, Gong Deyi quit his local job and went out of town to get a better paying job.
Little Linjun looked at her mother sick in bed and made up her mind, “I am going to collect garbage and then make some money to help my mother.”

In the beginning, little Linjun was quite shy and embarrassed. She was afraid that the teachers and students at school or neighbors would find out. She was always alone with a plastic bag and picked up water bottles, cans, and paper cups on the street between her home and school. She would sell them to a waste collection station at Huang Jia Ge and would net a yuan or two every time.

Later on, little Linjun thought: “Collecting garbage is not a crime, not robbery or stealing. Why should I be embarrassed? And why shouldn't I do it with my head up?” Thus she carried a plastic bag and a tong to school and started from the road to school. Slowly she expanded her territory and eventually ended up picking up garbage right next to Huang Jia Ge. Her total income at the end of the day would be about 20 yuan.

No matter if it was morning or evening, Saturday or Sunday, the residents in the district could always see a little person with a plastic bag and a tong hovering around garbage cans, regardless of rain or shine.

Carrying on the Heavy Burden


Linjun's mother needs seven hemodialysis per month. A hemodialysis costs 450 yuan plus treatment for lowering blood pressure and other symptoms. It is quite a financial burden for the family. Her mother can only rest in bed and cannot do any chores or field work. In addition, she cannot touch cold water. Therefore, little Linjun does it all, from cooking, washing clothing, to cleaning the house.

Excelling in the Classroom


Linjun is cute, lively, and well-behaved in school. She excels academically. She is also responsible for sweeping the classroom every day. Every morning, she is the first one to arrive. After she cleans up the classroom, she starts her morning reading.

Collecting Garbage Just to Save Mother

Not long ago, a reporter from Xiaoxiang Morning News was accompanied by little Linjun's classroom teacher Li Saiqin to visit Linjun. Her home has an old TV and a washing machine, some gifts from kind-hearted people, but nothing else of value. Unfortunately, little Linjun accompanied her mother to the hospital for hemodialysis, so the reporter did not get a chance to talk to her.
Li Saiqin told us in tears about little Linjun, “She is very mature and sensitive, strong and independent. I admire her.”
Ms. Li also told us about Linjun in 2007, that when her story of picking up garbage to save her mother was published by a local newspaper, it was quite a stir for the local community. Many people lent a helping hand. In Linjun's home we saw a Notebook of Thanksgiving: A neat and clear hand writing recorded 3000 donations from people—from a large amount of several thousands yuan to the smallest amount of an apple and an orange. It is really impressive to see over 100 thousand yuan of donation was recorded in the little notebook.
“I want to save my mother and I want to pick up every piece of junk and sell for money. I must save my mother!” That is the utmost goal for this 9-year-old Linjun.