Chinese Teen Trying To Raise Money For Sick Dad Dresses Up As Cow Daily, Asks People To Ride On Her For Money

Desperate to raise funds for her ailing father’s treatment, a teenager in China’s Anhui province has taken to wearing a cow mask and charging people 5 yuan to ride her. She’s been at it for the past three months, but Hefei locals have branded her a fraud.

Now, news reports are featuring photographs of 15-year-old Hao Dongdong with her paralysed father, proving that she’s been telling the truth all along. “My dad needs 5,000 Yuan each month for medical treatments,” she told reporters. “My brother and sister need to go to school. I have no identity card [for work] so I have to beg.” Dongdong’s father Hao Xinli used to be a farmer, but a back injury forced him to move to the city in 2000 to set up a small shop. Last year, when he and his wife were shopping in Hefei, they saw a mobile store giving away freebies as a promotional offer. They ran to the shop and tried taking what they could, but soon got into an altercation with the sales staff. Xinli was beaten badly, and his back pain became excruciating.

Xinli was diagnosed with a fractured spine and damaged neck, causing his upper body to be paralysed. He didn’t receive any compensation from the store for his injuries, so the family had to bear all his medical expenses. Three months ago, Xinli’s wife, unable to cope with the pressure, abandoned the family. That’s when Dongdong – the oldest of three siblings – dropped out of school to beg for money.   At first, she would just kneel on sidewalks and beg for money, but then a kind stranger suggested she try wearing a mask to get more attention. Since then, she’s been wearing a cow mask every day. She also has a little sign that reads: “I am willing to pretend to be a cow to let people ride me. 5 Yuan a ride.” And to prove that she isn’t a fraud, she sometimes takes her dad along with her.