Boy, six, who accidentally ran over a chicken with his bicycle before taking the bird to hospital with his ‘savings’ becomes an overnight star in India
- Derek Lalchhanhima offered 10 rupees to medical staff to help the dead chick
- He shot to fame after a family friend posted a photo taken by nurse on Facebook
- Derek’s school in India’s Mizoram State has since given him an award certificate
Derek Lalchhanhima, 6, from India’s Mizoram state melted hearts when this photo of him begging hospital staff to help the chick he ran over with his bike was posted on social media
A six-year-old boy who begged hospital staff to save a chick he accidentally ran over with his bike has become a viral internet star in India.
Derek C Lalchhanhima, from Sairang in the northeastern Indian state of Mizoram, was pictured holding the dead bird in one hand and a 10-rupee note – all the money he had – in the other.
Family friends said the concerned youngster did not understand that the chicken was dead and begged his parents to take it to hospital.
In the end, he took the limp body to doctors himself. On arrival, a nurse captured his forlorn expression in a photo which has since been shared thousands of times online.
His school was so impressed with his compassion, that they handed him an award for his kindness.
Family friend Sanga Says posted the photo on Facebook after Derek’s father Dhiraj Chhetri, a police officer, showed it to him and told him the heartwarming story.
‘I’m laughing and crying all at the same time,’ he wrote.
‘According to the father, the boy came home with the neighbour’s chick that he had accidentally killed,’ Mr Sanga told India’s NDTV.
‘He did not understand that the chick is dead and begged his parents to take it to the hospital,’ he said.
‘His father told him to go himself, which he did with ten rupees.’
Six-year-old Derek Lalchhanhima receives an award from his school for his heartwarming bid to save a chick he ran over with his bike
‘God bless his pure and honest little heart,’ one person commented on the Facebook photo. ‘This is heart-touching,’ wrote another.
‘He’s always been a rather unique kid,’ Derek’s father said.
After hospital staff told Derek there was no help for the poor bird, he returned home in tears
But the boy was determined to go back and get help again, this time with 100 rupees in his hand.
‘His parents finally had to explain to him that the chick is dead and that there’s nothing they can do at the hospital,’ Mr Sanga said.