Preamble:
Dear reader, when a child is facing death, as a parent, have you ever thought of disobeying the doctor's instructions and insisting on saving him?
When kneeling by the waters of the Ganges and praying to no avail, what choice do you make?
How should we deal with the grief of the death of a loved one?
A 5-year-old boy died of blood cancer, but his parents insisted on "soaking" him in the Ganges River in an attempt to "cure", which led to tragedy
The death of a 5-year-old boy touched the hearts of countless netizens
Delhi's Layan (not his real name) is a smart and clever 5-year-old boy.
He has thick black hair and big peach blossom eyes.
Rayane is the only child in the family, and his parents regard him as the jewel of their palms.
One day in November last year, Rayyan suddenly began to have a high fever and was unable to get out of bed.
At first, the parents, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li, did not take it seriously, thinking that it was a common cold or a viral infection.
But after a few days, Rayyan's condition not only did not improve, but became weaker and thinner.
A severe recurrent fever left the lively child dying and bedridden all day long.
Mr. Zhang and Mr. Li were reluctant to take him to the hospital for fear that the doctor would tell him bad news.
However, Rayyan's condition deteriorated day by day, and the high fever became more frequent day by day, and the whole person was already in agony.
Finally, under repeated persecution from relatives and friends, Zhang and Li took Rayyan to the hospital.
The doctor continued to conduct comprehensive and systematic examinations for Rayan, and his face became more and more ugly.
In the end, under the anxious questioning of the two, the doctor finally announced a cruel fact: Rayyan had blood cancer, and it was at an advanced stage, and his whole body organs were failing, and he was powerless.
"No! my son can't die like this!" said Mr. Zhang, crying hysterically, kneeling at the doctor's feet and pleading.
Mr. Li also burst into tears, unable to believe his ears.
How did Rayan, who was alive and kicking more than a month ago, suddenly get terminally ill?
"Is this retribution or is God merciless?"
Mr. Lee lay in front of Rayan's bed all day and all night, holding his son's little hand and weeping silently.
Mr. Zhang also had a sad face, and he never left his cigarette all day long.
The husband and wife watched their beloved child get worse and worse in the midst of illness, but there was nothing they could do, which was worse than death.
Finally, one day, while flipping through a book of Hindu legends, Mr. Li suddenly had an inspiration.
The book says that the water of the Ganges River in India can cure all diseases, and has the miraculous effect of washing away sins and eliminating troubles.
Isn't that what Rayan needs most right now?" "I swear I'm going to get Rayyan back on his feet!
Unable to withstand the instigation, Mr. Zhang also chose to make a desperate bet with Mr. Li.
They decided to set off for the Haridwar shrine in Uttarakhand, where they would take Rayyan to bathe in the Ganges for relief.
Obsessed, a journey to escape death
At 9 a.m. on January 25, Rayyan's parents and aunt Li Lian rented a car and set off for Haridwar in Uttarakhand with a dying Layan.
This city, which is hundreds of kilometers away from Delhi, has the water of the Ganges River like a "spiritual water wonderland" in their minds.
Knowing that Rayan's situation was in jeopardy, they decided to take a desperate gamble.
Li Lian is Rayana's aunt, and she also loves this naughty nephew on weekdays.
Now seeing that he is seriously ill, she is even more anxious than Rayyan's biological parents.
Along the way, Li Lian kept chattering, saying that she would take Rayan to play, buy him a new toy car, etc., wanting to make him happy.
Rayane was already weak and had been a long and bumpy drive, and was already dying.
Even if Li Lian said that the sky was wild, he only opened his eyelids slightly, and soon fell asleep again.
Mr. Li and Mr. Zhang were heartbroken, watching their beloved children helpless in the face of illness.
Finally, they came to the banks of the Ganges River in the legendary city of Haridwar.
This sacred river, which originates from a glacier, holds a high status for hundreds of millions of Hindu believers.
The parents recited the prayers from the Vedas, and the aunt carefully picked up Rayyan and walked into the river.
"My dear child, this holy Ganges water will heal your ......"
Li Lian hummed softly while repeatedly submerging Rayyan's body in the water.
However, the child's screams faded away.
Life fades away, superstition kills children
The crowd of onlookers were horrified by the way Rayan was dying.
Seeing this, a young man rushed into the river and snatched Rayan from Li Lian.
"You're killing the child!" the man shouted.
However, it was too late, and Rayan was already breathing and motionless.
"No, my child, please wake up!"
Li Lian shouted hysterically, unable to believe this sudden change.
The people around her persuaded her to accept the reality, and Rayan would never open her eyes again.
Mr. Li and Mr. Zhang were on the verge of collapse and were lying on the ground convulsing.
They only wanted to save Rayarne, but they did not expect to make such an irreparable mistake.
The video went viral online, with countless people lamenting the 5-year-old and denouncing his family for being blinded by superstition.
"It's all the fault of illiteracy, it's so painful. Many Indians left messages.
Indeed, in 2024, when science is prosperous, it is unbelievable that such a ridiculous tragedy will still occur.
The police soon intervened in the investigation, arrested the three adults and condemned them for possible manslaughter.
Mr. Lee and Mr. Zhang were embarrassed, they never thought that their decision would kill Rayarn.
"We were just so sad and desperate. Mr. Zhang knelt on the ground and cried.
"I now understand how terrible superstition and ignorance can be. ”
Behind the tragedy
A tragedy that should never have happened, the life of a 5-year-old child.
As outsiders, we should not judge too much about what Rayarn's family has done.
The pain of losing a loved one can make even the most rational person lose their minds, and who can guarantee that they will not do similar crazy acts?
However, this incident has taught us a profound lesson that when science is powerless, superstition and ignorance are never the answer.
Far from saving lives, they add to the suffering.
The tragedy also reflects a serious lack of education and science in India.
Many people in remote areas are poisoned by obscurantism and superstition, coupled with poor economic conditions and lack of medical facilities, so they can only hope for "miracles", which is tantamount to a drop in the bucket.
We must guide the public to establish scientific and rational thinking, change myths such as karma, and avoid the recurrence of tragedies.
Epilogue:
The loss of every life is worthy of our tears, and the death of every child is questioning the bottom line of human nature.
Let us silently pray that this poor child may rest in peace and that his family will come out of the gloom soon.