Perhaps inspired by Amelie Poulain, a young Beijing woman, Ling Yifan, requested from internet users to photograph a painting of her sick grandfather in different locations in the world and fulfill his 'traveling dream'. Thousands of responses  brought plenty of inspiration to the delighted grandfather.

5月11日傍晚，北京(Beijing)漫画家[1]凌一凡(Ling Yifan)用自己微博(Weibo, China's leading microblog)发出求助信息[2]："我有件事请求各位。外公[3]重病[4]，医生说时日无多。他没有去过很多地方旅行，现在也来不及了。我给他画了这张肖像画[5]，希望你能够把它打印[6]出来或者放在电脑屏幕[7]上，拿着它，在你所在地方合影[8]，然后发在微博上@我。让我给外公看看这个世界，就如同他到那里去了一趟[9]。可以让他有这个回忆吗？拜托[10]大家了。"该微博迅速引起网友关注并被转发，截至13日19时，转发[11]数超过85990次，评论[12]将近15860条。

凌一凡告诉记者，外公年轻时是一名电子工程师[13]，家中有6个女儿，由于养家很辛苦，一直都没有时间出去走一走。等他退休后，女儿们想带他出国去玩，但老人家顾虑自己年纪大，怕给儿女们添麻烦[14]，又心疼花钱，都拒绝[15]了。今年2月份，86岁高龄的外公因身体不适[16]被送进医院后，才发现已是淋巴癌[17]晚期。凌一凡希望用这种方式，让外公能‘周游世界[18]'，离去的时候可以不留遗憾。

凌一凡告诉记者，她原本以为发到微博上，能收集到几十张就不错了，出乎意料[19]的是，素不相识[20]的网友纷纷转发，如今直接发到她邮箱的达1000多张照片。美国(US)、德国(Germany)、比利时(Belgium)、巴西(Brazil)、印度(India)、老挝(Laos)、斐济(Fiji)、澳大利亚(Australia)......来自世界各地的照片让凌一凡眼花缭乱[21]。

5月13日下午，凌一凡和家人来到医院，把整理好的第一批照片一张张地翻给外公看时，外公笑逐颜开。凌一凡说："外公像个小孩儿一样，笑着说‘想不到我成了世界名人了'，谢谢大家给他带来的快乐。"

Ling Yifan with her grandfather's painting (top right), photos that netizens took in many different locations (top left) and the presentation of the photos to the grandfather in his hospital room.

On May 11, Beijing cartoonist Ling Yifan published a request on her Weibo account: "I have something to ask everybody. My (maternal) grandfather is seriously ill. The doctor said he does not have much time left. He hasn't traveled to many places and now he won't be able to it. I painted this portrait of him, I hope you could print it or put it on the computer screen, hold it, photograph it wherever you are and send it to my Weibo account. Let my grandfather have a look at this world. It will be as if he went on a trip. Could you give him this memory? I beg everybody to do so. " This post rapidly caught the attention of netizens and sent forward to others. Until 19 o'clock on May 13, it has been sent more than 85990 times, receiving almost 15860 comments.

Ling Yifan told reporters that her grandfather was an electronic engineer in his younger years. He had 6 daughters, and because taking care of the family was a difficult task there was no time to go out and travel. After he retired, the daughters wanted to take him to travel overseas, but the parents worried that because of their old age they would be a burden on their daughters. They also did not want to spend money, so they abolished the idea.

In February this year, the health of the 86 year old grandfather deteriorated. After he was sent to the hospital, he found out he has a lymph cancer in a developed state. Ling Yifan hopes that her idea will allow her grandfather to 'travel around the world' and when he passes away he will have no regrets.

Ling Yifan told reporters that at first she thought that this post could reach several dozens of people more or less. She was amazed to find out that unknown netizens transferred this post one after the other. At present more than 1000 photos were sent to her mailbox. US, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, India, Laos, Fiji, Australia... Photos from all around the world have left Ling Yifan completely dazzled.On the 13 in the afternoon, Ling Yifan and her family went to the hospital and exhibited the first batch of photos to her grandfather.  He beamed with smiles. Ling Yifan said: "Grandpa was like a child. He smiled and said 'I didn't expect to be famous worldwide'. I thank everyone for making him happy."

Original article published by 金羊网

[1] 漫画家 mànhuà jiā - Cartoonist

[2] 求助信息 qiúzhù xìnxī - Request, message asking for help

[3] 外公 wàigōng - Maternal grandfather

[4] 重病 zhòng bìng - Seriously ill

[5] 肖像画 xiàoxiàng huà - Portrait painting

[6] 打印 dǎyìn - Print

[7] 电脑屏幕 diànnǎo píngmù - Computer screen

[8] 合影 héyǐng - Group photo

[9] 趟 tàng - Trip

[10] 拜托 bàituō

[11] 转发 zhuǎnfā - Transfer, send forward

[12] 评论 pínglùn - Comments

[13] 电子工程师 diànzǐ gōngchéngshī - Electronic engineer

[14] 添麻烦 tiān máfan - Add trouble, be a burden on someone

[15] 拒绝 jùjué - Cancel, abolish

[16] 身体不适 shēntǐ bùshì - Bad health

[17] 淋巴癌 línbā ái - Lymph cancer

[18]周游世界 zhōuyóu shìjiè - Go around the world

[19] 出乎意料 chū hū yìliào - Be amazed

[20] 素不相识 sù bù xiāngshí - Strangers, unknown people

[21] 眼花缭乱 yǎnhuāliáoluàn - Be dazzled