An overseas Chinese living in Shanghai has come to the aid of a badly injured boy, after reading of his plight in Shanghai Daily.

The 15-year-old boy, Wen Jianlin, from Gansu Province will leave hospital today after five months of treatment to his right foot, torn apart in a factory accident.

Hugues Hung, who now works for Shanghai Starbucks, has promised financial aid to the boy.

Hung visited the boy and his father, Wen Zhijun, at the hospital ward last Saturday.

"I think it's better that I contact the disabled persons' federation at the boy's home province and provide help for him through the federation," Hung told Shanghai Daily Thursday.

He said he planned to support the farmer's son to continue with his study and a normal life for the next few years at his home in northwestern Gansu Province.

Hung also brought the boy a lot of nutritious food to help his recovery.

The boy has had seven major operations to restructure his heel and graft new skin to his foot.

But poverty has caused him to suffer malnutrition, according to doctors.

"We are grateful to the gentleman. I don't have any money and I don't know what to do in the big city. The good food is a timely help to my son," said the boy's 37-year-old father.

Doctors from the People's Liberation Army No. 85 hospital in Shanghai estimate the boy could expect to walk again in three years if the recovery is satisfactory.

The boy's right heel was cut off after his foot was injured by a quilt-tearing machine while he was working in a Taicang-based cotton mill in March and was transferred to the local hospital by the mill owner.

Meanwhile, donors have given nearly 13,000 yuan (US$1,566) to Zhang Yifei, an eight-month-old boy, whose story was published this month.

Zhang was diagnosed in June with serious pneumonia with fungal infection in the liver, kidney and digestive system.

His 1,000-yuan daily medical bill was beyond his farmer family in suburban Nanhui District.

Four individuals, including a local, two expatriates and a tourist in the city, gave amounts ranging from 800 yuan to 5,000 yuan to the boy after his parents sought help through Shanghai Daily.

One of the donors surnamed Yang, a visiting American Chinese, read Zhang's story and went to visit him at the hospital, just hours before he flew back to the United States.

Yang, who runs a restaurant in Los Angles, gave the boy 800 yuan and promised to set up a charity box for him in his restaurant.

(Shanghai Daily August 27, 2004)