BEIJING, March 18 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese cartoonist started a week-long online auction Sunday to raise money for the patients suffering from brittle bone, a rare disease.
The 30-year-old, better known by her pseudonym, Jidi, spent one year creating 366 water-color paintings.
Up for auction are her last 51 pieces of work. She has sold 315 pieces in five separate auctions since July raising more than 138,000 yuan (about 22,200 U.S. dollars).
She is using the cash to help patients with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), often known as brittle bone disease.
Money so far has been donated to China-dolls Center for Rare Disorders (CDCRD), a Beijing-based non-profit organization with an overall goal "to create an equal and respectful social environment for people with OI and other rare diseases."
Jidi said she was determined to help OI patients when she first learned about their suffering two years ago.
Brittle bone disease, with an incident rate of about 1/10,000 to 1/15,000, is a genetic disorder that can result in bone fractures and deformities. In China, people with such disease are referred to as "ciwawa," or "china doll."
"That sounds like a beautiful name in Chinese, yet the connotation means they are just as fragile as china, and a fall or even a sneeze may cause a broken bone," Jidi said.
"Nevertheless, they live their lives with a smile, holding to the belief that 'love is strong enough to put us through hardship'," Jidi said, adding she is touched by their optimism and bravery.
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