Poor Chinese family can only afford treatment for one, draws lots to decide fate of baby twins

A pair of 8-month-old twins in inner Mongolia were diagnosed with heart disorders and gravely ill, prompting the impoverished family to draw lots to decide which of the two to send for treatment. 

The mother of the twins, herself disabled, soon discovered that her husband had a brain tumour not long after the two wedded. 

As their finances were already in the reds, her husband chose to undergo minimal treatment in order not to overly tax his wife who was pregnant.

The woman gave birth to a pair of twins on Sep 2016, reports Lianhe Wanbao.

Unfortunately, both were diagnosed with heart disorder three days after, and many life-threatening complications arose. 

To save her children, the woman sold off her house and loaned money from friends, but could only come up with $40,000. 

With the bulk of the money spent on treatments for the twins, and the deadline of the surgery drawing close, the couple took to begging, hoping that someone could help them.

Despite their hard work, they could only solicit enough funds to afford surgery on one of the twins. 

At the end of their ropes, the couple decided to draw lots to decide which of the two babies would be send for the surgery, with the older twin ultimately being chosen.

After the story of their circumstances was uploaded online, it quickly became viral, and compassionate members of the public donated $160,000 within three hours. 

With the money, the couple were able to afford the surgery for the other twin.  

The couple have expressed gratitude to netizens via the media.