Chinese man with walking disability moves across cities on hands and feet searching for his missing son

"I will never give up looking for my son."
 By 
Alicia Tan
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

In what can only be described as truly heartbreaking, Chen Shengkuan, a Chinese man with a mobility-related disability, has been moving from city to city on his hands and feet in search of his missing son, local news reports.

Chen's two-year-old son, Chen Zhaoyuan, went missing around 15 months ago from the family home at the Wenzhang Xi village in Chengyue, China. According to Chen, the toddler was abducted while playing with his cousins and was likely sold off to another family.

Chen has lived with a walking disability since he was a child after he was diagnosed with polio.


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A police report filed by the Chen family documented that the boy went missing in January last year. The toddler was under the care of his grandparents when he was abducted.

With the local police coming up empty, Chen quit his job at a factory making catheters and left home with his wife to conduct a broader search.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

"I will never give up looking for my son."

According to Chinese media reports, Chen's search has managed to cover his broader province and has moved to Zhangjiang, a larger city with a population of 6.9 million people.

Chen's relentless hunt has now taken him to Guangdong, one of China's biggest cities. To aid him in his search, Chen carries around with him a poster with pictures of his son, detailing the incident and hoping that someone will be able to point him in the right direction.

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Chen told Yangcheng Evening News: "No matter how hard or how much I have to suffer, I will never give up looking for my son."

Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Chen and his wife are now appealing to the media for help in locating their son.

Child abduction cases in China are in part fueled by families desperate for a male heir to carry on the family name.

[h/t: Daily Mail]

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Alicia Tan

Alicia Tan was an Asia Deputy Editor at Mashable. She has over 11 years of experience in journalism, magazine production and content publishing; specialising in women's lifestyle, fashion and beauty. When she's not writing, she's obsessing over Totoro, Ryan Gosling and online shopping.

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