Dying old man's dream to travel world fulfilled

Young woman initiated love campaign to make grandpa's last days delightful moments

Ling Ruiming has long dreamed of traveling around the world. But when the 86-year-old man was diagnosed with terminal cancer, it appeared his dream would never come true.

Thanks to a micro blog his granddaughter posted on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform, Ling Ruiming was able to travel the world in a matter of days.

On Friday, 29-year-old Ling Yifan of Beijing posted a request on her micro blog with a portrait of her grandfather, who was diagnosed with lymph cancer three months ago.

"My grandpa is sick with few days left," she wrote. "All he wanted to do for the rest of his life is to travel around the world. Could you please do him a favor of taking him around the world by taking a photo with his portrait at your place?"

Within three hours, the post was forwarded tens of thousands of times. By Monday, it had been forwarded around 89,000 times.

Ling Yifan has received more than 20,000 replies with photos of her grandfather's portrait at places around the world, including the River Thames in England, the Berlin Wall in Germany and New York City in the United States.

"A friend even took a picture at the South Pole," Ling Yifan said.

She said her grandfather was delighted and grateful to see his photo against different backgrounds from all over the world.

He tries to look at every picture but sometimes has to stop because he gets tired, Ling Yifan said.

"I am going to be world-famous," Ling Ruiming said.

Ling Yifan said she was especially touched by a friend in Thailand who spent a whole day visiting temples in Chiengmai with a portrait of her grandfather, praying for his health.

"No matter how long my grandpa holds on and whether there will be a miracle or not, he has been blessed," said Ling Yifan.

According to Ling, her grandfather was born in Shanghai and moved to Beijing around 1949. He worked as an engineer.

"It's a miracle to see his dream finally accomplished at the very end of his life," she said.

She said her grandfather, who has not been informed of his condition, frequently asks if he can leave the hospital and return home to be with his family. He says he wants to begin his world tour as soon as possible, she said.

"It's sad to think that he might never have a chance to get out of the hospital," she said.

Cui Xiaodan, who is studying at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, scanned Ling Ruiming's portrait into a picture she took while she was at Chicago University in the United States.

"The love relay is inspiring, and I wish to be part of it," she said.

Liu Rui, a classmate of Ling Yifan, has urged friends and colleagues to join the "Taking Grandpa Around the World" campaign. "It is the resonance of love that bounds the tens of thousands of people around the world together," he said.

Ling Xiaoying, Ling Yifan's mother, said she was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and kindness of the public.

"It's a blessing that he could enjoy such a delightful moment before passing away," she said.

She said the many visits from people who have been touched by his story have left him fatigued. "He's very excited and exhausted at the same time," she said.

Ling Yifan said her grandfather was recently diagnosed with a fever. Due to his severe condition, Ling Ruiming has a hard time making any noises, let alone speaking, she said.

Ling Yifan, who is an illustrator, said her greatest regret is that she did not visit her grandfather very often in the past few years because she was busy working.

It was not until three months ago, when Ling Ruiming was diagnosed and moved to Peking University Third Hospital, that she realized the love between family members is the most precious and irreplaceable part of life.

"It's just my way to fulfill the grandpa's dream and reduce some of his regrets," she said.

Ling Yifan said she hoped young people, while pursuing their dreams, could spend more time with their parents and take them to the places that they might enjoy.

"Don't wait until it's too late," she said.