The young mother had come specifically for Du Heng, but now, hearing his name, she felt no excitement, only a faint shake of her head. "No, there's no need. We don't have the money, so we won't seek treatment."

Du Heng still smiled gently. His warm smile was intended to soothe the young mother, to keep her from becoming too agitated or despondent. "Listen to me. Put the child down first, and tell me what's wrong. If I can't help either, it won't be too late for you to leave then."

Looking at the crying child in the woman's arms, Du Heng sighed inwardly. What is the biggest obstacle to treatment? It's money, money, money. As long as there is money, there's no such thing as an absolutely incurable disease. Even for cancer, there are targeted special medicines, but a single injection starts at 500,000 to 600,000 yuan, and treatment is long-term. Which ordinary family can afford that? Never mind ordinary families; even generally affluent ones couldn't bear such costs. There are also diseases caused by certain genetic defects, the kind that are inevitably fatal, but there are special medicines for them too. A box containing just three pills costs a million dollars. Similarly, common heart diseases, hepatitis, and kidney diseases, when medicinal stone and other remedies prove ineffective, can often be resolved with organ transplants. But with costs ranging from hundreds of thousands to over a million yuan, even if a donor is available, how many people can afford it? Du Heng felt helpless in such situations. If he didn't encounter them, he could pretend they weren't happening. But for the case before him now, he did have some ability to help.

The young mother was visibly affected by Du Heng's smile and slowly put down the crying child in her arms.

Du Heng saw the young mother's mood had eased slightly, so he said softly, "Our doctor told me about your situation just now. Is there anything you'd like to add?"

The young mother shook her head. "Our family is poor. The initial treatment costs tens of thousands of yuan. My husband and I are still young, so we could borrow that from people. They'd lend it to us, not worrying about repayment. But the follow-up treatment costs... they're too high. We can't borrow that much, and we'd never be able to pay it back."

Halfway through her sentence, the young mother suddenly looked up at Du Heng, her eyes filled with a glimmer of hope. "Doctor Du, can we do the treatment slowly? Or perhaps you could teach us rehabilitation methods? We could do the rehabilitation for our child ourselves. It wouldn't matter if it took longer, as long as the child can be cured."

Du Heng shook his head without hesitation. "The treatment for this condition must be continuous; it cannot be interrupted. And Rehabilitation Training isn't just about helping someone stand up and walk, as people might commonly think. It involves comprehensive rehabilitation for the child's speech development, hearing, and physical movement. Without professional guidance, it's very difficult to achieve a good recovery outcome. Moreover, if the optimal treatment window is missed, the child might not recover to the extent you hope for."

His words instantly dashed the young mother's hopes once more.

Du Heng paused for a moment before continuing, "Our hospital has applied for a research project specifically for this condition. If it's approved, we'll receive dedicated research funds. Ma'am, your child's case perfectly fits the criteria for our research project. If the project is approved, your child can participate. The hospital can then use the Project Funding to cover most of your child's treatment costs. At that time, you would only need to cover some basic expenses, plus your and your child's living costs."

He then looked at the woman earnestly and asked, "Would you be willing to let your child participate in my project?"

Hope flared in the young mother's eyes, but when she thought of the rehabilitation costs after discharge, they dimmed once more.

Seeing the woman's change of expression, Du Heng quickly understood her concern. "There's one more thing I need to clarify. Once the project is approved, the subsequent rehabilitation therapy will also be considered part of the treatment. Therefore, our hospital will be setting up its own professional rehabilitation team. This means your child's follow-up rehabilitation therapy can also be conducted right here at our hospital. If you're willing for us to observe and collect data on your child's progress, our project team can also cover these costs using the project funds."

"Really?" The woman looked at Du Heng in disbelief.

Du Heng smiled again. "Of course. I am the Dean of this hospital and also the head of this project. What I've told you is absolutely true."

The young mother became excited again, tears streaming down her face once more. "I'm willing! I'm willing! As long as it can save my child, I'll do anything!"

"Then please, stay here with peace of mind. Let our doctors examine your child and prescribe medicine. Alright?"

"Yes, yes, alright."

Du Heng smiled, then turned and said to Li Shuxun and the others, "Alright, you're up."

Li Shuxun looked admiringly at his senior brother, Du Heng, his eyes practically sparkling with awe. In his impression, Du Heng was omnipotent; nothing seemed difficult once it was in Du Heng's hands.

"Senior Brother, we've already completed the initial examination and registration. Now we just need to go back and discuss the treatment plan."

"Very well. Have the nurse handle the remaining procedures."

After saying that, Du Heng spoke again to the young mother, "Try not to worry about other things. Just cooperate fully with our doctors." Then he turned and left the hospital room.

The young mother bowed excitedly toward Du Heng's retreating figure, murmuring repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you."

Du Heng heard the 'thank yous,' but he didn't look back and walked straight out of the hospital room.

He hadn't felt it so acutely when he was at the Health Clinic. But during his time in the Chinese Medicine Department at Provincial First Hospital, the Emergency Department at the Municipal First Hospital, and his period in the Capital, he had come to deeply understand one thing: in a hospital, tears were the most worthless currency, and crying was the most useless action.