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On Aug. 17, egg pancake seller Wang Xianhuang in Hefei noticed a note attached to a delivery order that said the food was for a child receiving chemotherapy and asked that shredded kelp and lettuce be left out, with half the order made non-spicy.

Moved by the message, Wang added two complimentary cups of soy milk and slipped 100 yuan in cash into the package, according to QQ News.

The boy’s father, surnamed Zhu, later shared the story online. His son Haolin was diagnosed with leukemia in February and is still undergoing treatment.

“A stranger showed compassion for a sick child. There is always warmth in this world that can brighten even the darkest days,” Zhu wrote.

The donation was a meaningful gesture for Wang, as the 100 yuan amounted to roughly four days of profit from his small business.

The 33-year-old vendor is carrying more than 200,000 yuan (US$30,000) in business debt and has faced serious financial hardship himself, including periods when he slept in internet cafes and drank water from public sinks.

After the story spread online, customers from across China began visiting Wang’s stall, transforming the once-quiet business into a popular local stop. His sales reportedly doubled, while some people placed online orders specifically to donate meals to sanitation workers and delivery riders.

Wang later contributed another 8,100 yuan (US$1,200) to Haolin’s family, using his recent earnings and money from a media award. The founder of the food brand he works with also donated 2,000 yuan, according to the South China Morning Post.

Wang said he was deeply affected after seeing photos of Haolin in hospital with medical tubes attached. “I hope every child in the world can grow up healthy and free from illness,” he said.

Haolin’s condition is now stable, but his father said the boy will need to continue treatment for another 18 months.