Buddha-like child draws in online fans, controversy

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The father of a sick boy who gained online fame thanks to his Buddha-reminiscent looks and adult-like behavior has denied he is exploiting his five-year-old child to make money.

Little Rock has become a viral sensation on the Chinese blogosphere with his livestreams amassing over 952,000 followers who tune in to watch the chubby boy consume copious amounts of food or entertain them with his mini-adult behavior.

But the kid's appearance, which many likened to a little Buddha, reveals a grim story about his health status.

The boy is only one meter tall and weighs almost 35 kilograms, and so looks short and plump. But that's because of hormone imbalance due to a kidney disorder.

Little Rock was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome, a group of telltale signs that one's kidney is not properly functioning, when he was just 14 months old.

But despite being ordered a diet of mostly rice and little salted vegetables because of high levels of protein in his urine, the child broadcasts meals consisting of large portions of meat.

Little Rock has over 952,000 fans on his livestreaming platform. /Screenshot from Kuaishou

"Hi, bros! I will have a lobster and BBQ today," he shouts energetically in one of his livestreams, "Cheer up, pals! Please just click here (and give me awards)!"

The virtual awards he receives from fans go to paying the fees of his medical treatment. But the child's online activity, the way he speaks like adults and his proficiency in Internet slang have stirred controversy online.

"Should the custody of this child be taken away from his parents?" One netizen asked. "Is this not an act of exploiting the kid for money?"

The father, Chu Bin, has come out in defense of his parenting worthiness and told Beijing News that whatever his son earns from livestreaming is too little to cover medical bills.

To lower the risk of blood clots and treat his kidney failure, the boy is on regular medication, which costs the family around 8,000 yuan (1,150 U.S. dollars) per month.

"The main income of the whole family is from my wife's e-commerce business and some other part-time jobs. Besides, we sold our house, which helps us now pay for the bills," the father added.

The chubby kid has been likened to a little Buddha. /Photo via Beijing News

Livestreaming is said to be an outlet for the kid whose health condition prevents him from living life like other children his age, such as going to kindergarten or playing outdoors.

The boy broadcasts from home in the city of Changchun, in northeast China's Jilin Province.

"No one has taught him how to livestream," the father told Shanghai-based outlet The Paper. "He stayed with my parents. Unable to go to school, he gradually learned to surf the Internet by himself."

"Lots of aunties, uncles, brothers and sisters cared about me and donated money for my medical treatment," said the five-year-old boy. "I hope I could make money by my own and reduce my parents' economic burden."