Some kids try to find reasons for their parents so they wouldn’t go to school. If you’re a parent, you must’ve heard of countless excuses made up by your child so they won’t attend classes: from stomach aches to fevers.
For one Chinese little boy, going to school is one of the important things in his life. Wang Fuman even walks more than 3 miles every morning to attend his classes and in the winter season he has to walk in freezing cold. Fortunately, his devotion has gained him a lot of attention and some amazing help from caring people around the world!
Chinese boy arrives at school with frozen hair! Little Wang, what a trooper!! #IceBoy https://t.co/Ua5IohzOPQ pic.twitter.com/wQfm2FRPPK
— Rhys Williamson (@rhyswilliamson) January 12, 2018
Wang is only eight-years-old and he lives in the Chinese province Yunnan. Wang is separated from both his parents since his mother abandoned the children and his father has to work away from home. Wang and his sister are cared for by their grandmother; however, it’s difficult for the older woman to make ends meet.
School is very important to Wang and he goes even when it is difficult. Wang’s school has no heat and the little boy suffers from regular hypothermia. While other children wear plenty of clothing to help keep them warm, Wang doesn’t have more than a thin coat to wear.
According to the BBC, When serious cold weather stood in between Wang and an exam that he needed to do at school, the little boy wasn’t going to let the cold hold him back. Wearing nothing but his thin jacket, he walked the entire three miles to school. By the time he arrived at class, his cheeks were red and his hair and eyebrows covered in ice.
While his appearance brought plenty of laughs from the other students, his teacher took a picture of his icy appearance and posted it online. Before long, the image had gone viral with Wang being called “Ice Boy”.
Despite his rough start, Wang took his exam and managed to score 99 out of 100 on the exam that he took. The eight-year-old realizes that getting to school is the only hope he has of improving his situation in life and getting out of poverty.
After gaining the attention of internet users around the world, Wang, his sister, and his father were all invited on a trip to Beijing. The little boy, who is being hailed a hero, was given a chance to ride in a car with the police and then took a trip on a scooter. After viewing landmarks in the area, Wang explained that he has hopes to become a doctor or policeman when he grows up. He also declared that “central heating is a miracle” after feeling warm while on his trip.
Moved by his story, people around the world worked to raise money to improve Wang’s school. After gathering $450,000, the school was able to have their heating system repaired and impoverished students were given warmer clothes.
What do you think of Wang’s devotion for his school work and moving ahead in life? We can only hope that we have a little bit of his determination in our work and lives!
