And Lu was determined to do whatever he could.
Five Meals a Day for One Reason
Lu began eating as many as five meals a day in an effort to gain the necessary weight.
Rice, meat, eggs, milk, and larger portions became part of his routine. His family supported his efforts, and his younger siblings reportedly gave him some of the meat from their own meals.
These were ordinary foods, familiar to many households. But in Lu's circumstances, eating was no longer simply a matter of satisfying hunger or enjoying a favorite dish. Each meal became connected to a goal that mattered more to him than almost anything else.
He needed to reach the weight required for donation.
The South China Morning Post reported that Lu gained around 18 kilograms over approximately three months. Vietnamese news outlet VnExpress also reported that he increased his food intake significantly during this period, including rice, milk, eggs, and braised pork. VnExpress: A boy tries to gain weight to donate marrow and save his father.
For a growing child, this was a remarkable change in a relatively short time.
It is important, however, to understand what made his experience unusual. Lu was not trying to meet a personal fitness target or change his appearance. His weight gain was part of a specific medical plan intended to make donation possible.
His story should therefore not be interpreted as advice for other children to eat excessively or gain weight rapidly. Healthy growth varies from child to child, and significant changes in a child's diet or weight should be guided by qualified medical professionals.
In Lu's case, the decision was made in the context of a transplant team evaluating whether he could donate safely and provide sufficient marrow for his father.
For the boy himself, however, the medical explanation may have mattered less than the simple reality he could understand: his father needed help, and the doctors had told him that his weight was an obstacle.
So he kept eating.
Some meals may have been enjoyable. Others may have felt like work. A child who is eating beyond his usual appetite can experience discomfort, boredom, and frustration. It takes considerable persistence to continue a demanding routine for weeks, especially when the reason for doing so is emotionally overwhelming.
Every day brought another reminder that the family was waiting for a transplant and that the outcome remained uncertain.
There was no guarantee that gaining weight would solve every problem. It could help address one requirement, but the medical team still needed to determine whether the procedure could proceed and whether the transplant would ultimately succeed.
Nevertheless, Lu continued to focus on the part he believed he could control.
He ate another meal.