“Controversial Decision: Desperate Parents of Quadruplets Face Backlash for Crowdfunding Medical Expenses!”
The mother, Li, delivered four baby girls at the Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital in Guangdong province. Due to being born prematurely, the newborns had to be placed in intensive care, with medical costs estimated at $28,000.
Both Li and her husband, Chen, are low-income workers, and while their country’s social security program is expected to reimburse 80% of the costs, they must first cover the expenses out of pocket.
As news of the parents’ plea went viral on social media, Chinese netizens criticized them for being “careless,” and for continuing to have kids despite their financial struggles.
Struggling family from China gets criticized online for asking for monetary aid after having quadruplets despite already having two daughters
Image credits: Douyin
News of the couple’s situation spread quickly on Chinese social media, with over 10 million views on Douyin, the Asian country’s TikTok equivalent.
Far from having an empathetic reception, commenters held the parents responsible for their situation due to the mother revealing she had known she was going to have quadruplets since the very beginning.
Image credits: Douyin
Doctors informed her of the status of her children two months into the pregnancy, offering to abort some of the embryos to lighten their financial burden. The couple denied the offer, wanting to have all four of their babies.
“They are being irresponsible. If they were aware they could not afford it, why did they choose to give birth to all of the quadruplets?” one user asked.
