A Cartoonist Helps Her Grandpa’s Dream Come True

Combo photo taken on May 15, 2012 shows some photos posted by microbloggers as responses to Ling Yifan, a 29-year-old cartoonist, to help her ailing grandfather travel the world in Beijing, capital of China, May 15, 2012. Earlier this month Ling posted a portrait of her grandfather, who is dying of cancer in Beijing, on Sina Weibo, a popular microblogging site.

“My grandpa is sick and only has a few days left. There are many places he has never been, and there is not enough time left for him to travel,” she wrote. “I hope you can help him see the world by taking a picture with this portrait.”

Her post was forwarded more than 80,000 times within just a few days, with tens of thousands of microbloggers printing out the portrait and taking photos with it in a variety of locations, from the Thames River and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to a zoo in Seychelles.

Lin said that she is grateful that her post has helped her grandfather realize his dream, as well as helped her to share her love for her family with so many people. <Xinhua>

news@theasian.asia