Then another.
And gradually, his body changed.
When Determination Made Him a Target at School
The physical changes did not go unnoticed.
As Lu gained weight, some children at school began teasing him about his appearance. The attention that followed his transformation was not always kind, and he had to deal with comments about getting bigger while carrying a concern that few of his classmates could fully understand.
For most children, teasing about weight can be embarrassing or painful. At 11, fitting in with classmates often feels important, and changes in appearance can make a child particularly self-conscious.
Lu was experiencing those pressures while trying to help save his father.
Imagine being a schoolboy who is already worried about a parent's illness, then having to face jokes from classmates about the very change you are making for that parent's sake.
The situation reveals an uncomfortable truth about childhood: people often judge what they can see without knowing the circumstances behind it.
His classmates could see that he was becoming heavier. They could not necessarily see the fear, hope, and determination that accompanied every extra meal.
They saw a physical change. Lu saw a possible chance to keep his father alive.
His response became the defining line of the story:
“Save Dad first, lose weight later.”
The sentence has endured because it communicates so much with so few words. It captures the urgency of his mission and his refusal to allow other people's comments to distract him from it.
It also shows how children can express love in practical, concrete ways. Lu could not choose his father's treatment, control the transplant's outcome, or make the illness disappear. He could, however, try to meet the requirement the doctors had identified.
And he was prepared to endure uncomfortable changes and unkind comments while doing so.
Still, it is worth remembering that a child's courage should not be confused with an obligation to suffer in silence. Children deserve kindness and protection even when they show extraordinary resilience. Lu's experience is moving because of his determination, but the teasing he encountered was not something he should have had to tolerate.
A child's body should never become a reason for humiliation, particularly when others do not know what that child or family may be facing.