Today's Must Read: The Touching Story Of The Man Who Adopted 12 Unwanted Girls
Today's Must Read: The Touching Story Of The Man Who Adopted 12 Unwanted Girls
Get ready for some seriously ugly crying.
Get ready for some seriously ugly crying.
This story starts 35 years ago, all the way in China.
And it begins with a man, Yu Shangzhong, who is now 75 years old.
He lives in Zhejiang province, in the northeastern part of the country.
At the time, Yu, at the age of 40, and his wife, decided to adopt their first daughter, a newborn.
Over the next decade, Yu and his wife continued to adopt baby girls no one else wanted. He found two of his adopted daughters by simply stumbling across the babies, abandoned in cardboard boxes around town.
Yu found his two youngest daughters, both newborns, within days of each other.
Over the years, Yu and his wife continued to take in more babies, until they had 12 adopted daughters.
Yu and his wife kept adopting children, even though they made very, very little money from his temporary jobs.
“We had tough days. When I was a little girl, my mother carried me on her back, collecting scraps or even begging.”
Yu Caisong, the eldest daughter
Heartbreakingly, one of his adopted daughters died from disease in 1998.
Yu and his wife knew they couldn't continue to care for all 12 girls.
They gave up seven of their daughters to new families.
“It was just like giving them new life if they went to families with better conditions."
Yu Shangzhong
Since then, four of Yu's daughters have made it to college, and his two youngest will enroll this fall.
In appreciation of their adopted father's lifetime of selflessness, his daughters gifted him with a golden ring for his 70th birthday.
And Yu has nothing but respect from members of his community, who have come together with public support for his adopted family.
“Not everyone has such courage [to take in so many adopted children]."
Community Member
“Good people will be repaid for their kind deeds. I wish them happiness."
Community Member
We are all of Kim Kardashian's ugly cries right now.
Three cheers for the amazing Yu Shangzhong!
Would you adopt 12 children?
Would you adopt 12 children?
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