Parents Dancing to Raise Funds for Children with Rare Diseases

Taiwan singer and actor Kenji Wu drew widespread attention after sharing an emotional video on social media, calling a grassroots parental fundraising effort "the most deserving group live stream to go viral in the world."

The video, posted yesterday, showcases a unique all-night charity event in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, in which a group of parents performed the same simple dance moves repeatedly for five hours, from 8pm to 1am, to raise money for their children's treatments for rare diseases.

"There was no aesthetic appeal in the costumes or the dance," Wu said in the clip. "It was just relentless, exhausting repetition. I was curious. What could drive them to dance as if their lives depended on it?"

The answer came from the dancers themselves: All are parents of children battling rare and serious illnesses.

"I'll dance with all my strength, as long as I can move," said Ziqi's mother, whose daughter has been ill for over four years. "If I don't fight for this and the surgery can't happen, I'll never forgive myself." When her child once asked if she would ever abandon her, the mother replied, "I would never leave you. I'm here earning money for your treatment."

Xiaoyi's father shared his son's ordeal: 15 rounds of chemotherapy and four rounds of immunotherapy. "He has suffered so much," he said. "I hope by pushing myself harder, I can buy him a few more years, take him out to see the world, and let him feel our love while he still can."

For Junjun's mother, the physical toll was meaningless beside the cause. "This exhaustion is nothing. Even if it kills me, it's worth it if it saves my child."

Wu captured their desperation in his narration: "These parents dancing for five hours are fighting for their children's lives. They're dancing to buy a sliver of hope."

The organizer, Dou Ding's father, coined the powerful phrase defining their mission: "What we are dancing is not a routine, but our very lives; not tears, but hope." He added, "I want more people to see them fighting, using their sweat and blood to buy their children a tomorrow."

Deeply moved, Wu announced at the end of the video that he would learn the "Dance of Hope" and join the parents in their next live event. He also called for public support to help bring their story to millions.