6-year-old Boy Gets Awarded After Bringing Chicken He Accidentally Ran Over to Hospital

Illustration - Tomsickova Tatyana/Shutterstock

From the archives: This story was last updated in April 2019.

Running over a chicken accidentally with your bicycle is a big deal in anyone’s eyes, and it was certainly a heart-stopping event for this young fella. What he did next rapidly made the internet rounds. He certainly has a sense of responsibility.

When 6-year-old Derek C Lalchhanhima, from Sairang in northeast India, injured a young chicken that belonged to his neighbor on April 3, 2019, he quickly did the only thing he knew to help the defenseless chicken. Young Derek grabbed what little money he had in one hand, and with the chicken in the other hand, he ran to get help.

His first point of call was his parents. According to NDTV, Derek’s parents were reluctant to take the chicken to the hospital because it was dead—so the young Derek took matters into his own hands and rushed off for help.

“He did not understand that the chick is dead and begged his parents to take it to the hospital. His father told him to go himself, which he did with 10 rupees,” Sanga Says, who shared the post on Facebook, told NDTV.

Upon his arrival at the hospital, young Derek held out his money, and with a pleading look in his eyes, he implored staff to help the hapless chicken.

A hospital nurse who was moved by Derek’s innocence and humanity snapped a photo of the boy in the act. The post by Sanga Says has since gone viral with more than 10 million likes and 87,000 shares.

Sanga also added that when Derek came back from the hospital, he was in tears and wanted to really help the chicken. This time, he wanted to return to the hospital with a larger sum of money.

“His parents finally had to explain to him that the chick is dead and that there’s nothing they can do at the hospital,” Sanga further added.

Often, in this busy world where tragedy is everywhere, we turn a blind eye to the distress of others, perhaps as a coping mechanism. The purity of Derek’s thought to help shone through his eyes, and internet users everywhere responded.

“This young boy from Sairang, Mizoram, accidentally ran over his neighbour’s chicken with his cycle. He took the chicken, ran to the nearest hospital and with all the money he had, asked for help. (I’m laughing and crying all at the same time),” wrote Sanga.

There was plenty of praise for the young fella. Here are a few comments from social media.

One social media user wrote, “It’s a good example for the people who run cars on animals and don’t care.”

While another curious user commented, “This is sooo cute ?but DID THE CHICKEN SURVIVED?”

“Got [sic] bless this beautiful and innocent child.So precious❤,” a third one chimed in.

But it wasn’t just the thousands of social media users who were surprised with Derek’s kind deed. His parents, too, were proud of their son.

Sanga said Derek’s father, Dhiraj, told him, “He’s always been a rather unique kid.”

Screenshot/Facebook

His compassionate deed did not go unnoticed by his school teachers, and he was honored with a special “Word of Appreciation” certificate, according to India Times.

Derek, resplendent in a special robe for the occasion, is bound to look back with fond memories in the years to come.

“In Mizo tradition, different types of shawls are usually presented to esteemed guests...,” wrote Sanga in a Facebook post.

“The shawl that is draped on him looks like a modified version of the ‘Tawlhloh Puan’, an honour given to those who have exemplified extraordinary courage,” he wrote.

Well done, Derek!

Meanwhile, in a somewhat related incident, a young patient who was about to have an operation at a Nova Scotia hospital had an unusual request for his neurosurgeon. Check it out:

Doctor Performs ‘Surgery’ on Ripped Teddy Bear to Cheer Up Boy With Fluid in His Brain