Wang Xiaohu and Feng Yichong are deskmates at the same junior high school. Their friendship began with a single promise.

Feng has had hereditary spastic paraplegia ever since he was born. At first, the only impact of the disease was that he couldn’t walk as fast as other kids; later, Feng could not walk at all without help, as the condition worsened. Wang transferred to Feng’s elementary school in 2014, and the two boys became deskmates. Seeing Feng’s trouble, Wang volunteered to help him walk to the classroom every day, and the two became close friends.

In 2015, Feng and Wang were in the same class in the same middle school together. Feng’s situation was getting worse, and he was soon unable to even stand by himself. Wang decided to extend his promise of helping Feng to the classroom, and soon started carrying Feng to school every day. Even though Wang no longer lived on campus, he still brought Feng from his dormitory to the classroom every morning and afternoon.

In late 2015, Feng’s doctor told him that he probably would never walk by himself. Upon hearing this news, Feng considered dropping out of school. Wang encouraged and comforted him, promising: “As long as we are schoolmates, I will always carry you.”

Now it has been two years since Wang first offered to help Feng. “I hope we can go to the same high school and college, so that I can always be there for him,” said Wang.