A poor mother who stole a chicken's leg for her sick daughter as a Children's Day present in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, recently garnered nationwide sympathy. The mother has also received donations from the public for the treatment of her daughter.
Liu Jinxia, a mother of 7-year-old twin daughters both with kidney problems, was caught stealing a chicken leg and two children's books in a supermarket on Tuesday in Xuanwu district, Nanjing, which she said she was going to use as Children's Day gifts for her daughter Dashuang in hospital, the Beijing Youth Daily reported Thursday.
Liu told the police that Dashuang wished to eat a chicken leg on Children's Day, but she only had 5 yuan ($0.76) with her, so she resorted to stealing.
Liu brought Dashuang, the elder one of the twins, to see a doctor in Nanjing on May 25, which cost all her savings, local newspaper Modern Express reported Thursday. Liu's husband left home because he could not stand the difficulty of having two sick children.
"She is the most touching thief I have ever caught in my career," Pan Shunqin, the police officer who caught Liu, said in his WeChat post.
The manager of the supermarket did not call to account, so Liu was released by the police after being educated.
The story soon gained attention among Chinese netizens on social media, and the hashtag "the saddest Children's Day present" received 11 million views on Sina Weibo.
Sina's official account in Jiangsu on Wednesday started a donation for Liu and her children, which has collected more than 800,000 yuan in two days. The donation will be used for the treatment of Dashuang.
