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He stole to fund his son’s cancer treatment, was still behind bars when boy died
A Chinese father, Yu Haibo, stole transformers to fund his son's leukemia treatment but was jailed when his son died.
A father in China who stole to fund his son’s cancer treatment was still behind bars when the boy died. According to a report in South China Morning Post, Yu Haibo, 29, was in jail for stealing transformers when his son died of leukemia.
His son’s ashes were scattered in a lake near the prison where Haibo was being held.
The story of a desperate father
Yu Haibo grew up in China’s northeastern Jilin province. Born to a farming family, he left school as a teenager and worked as a chef and welder. Before he turned 20, Haibo married his girlfriend.
When their son Jiayue was born in 2014, Haibo was earning just 2,000 yuan a month working at a car factory. His wife was a homemaker. At the age of three, Jiayue was diagnosed with leukemia - a type of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow.
“I could not believe it. I was ready to give up everything to save him,” Haibo told Jiupai News.
The desperate father took on multiple jobs, sold his home and even borrowed money to treat Jiayue.
However, when the pandemic hit, his earnings dried up. Meanwhile, in April 2021, doctors recommended a treatment that would cost tens of thousands of yuan.
Stealing to cover costs
Haibo’s friend told him that he could try selling copper from roadside transformers for money. Desperate to raise funds, he stole more than 20 transformers and sold the copper for about 30,000 yuan.
“I did not know it was illegal. I was desperate,” Haibo said.
He was arrested and jailed for four years for the crime of stealing. Meanwhile, his wife had to work multiple jobs and care for their son alone.
In early 2023, while Haibo was still behind bars, his son died. A month before his death, Haibo was allowed to visit him in hospital one last time.
Jiayue’s last message was: “Dad, after you are out, do not think about me too much. If you miss me, just visit the lake. I will always be there.”
After being released from jail in November 2024, Haibo has visited the lake every two weeks. Recently, on Father’s Day, he took flowers, cake and toys to the lake.
