Sadako Sasaki was at home when the explosion

occurred, about 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) away from ground zero. She SADAKO SASAKI
was blown out of the window and her mother ran out to find her,
suspecting she may be dead, but instead finding her two-year-old
daughter alive with no apparent injuries. While they were fleeing,
Sasaki and her mother were caught in the black rain. Her
grandmother rushed back to the house and was never to be seen
again. After the bombing, Sasaki grew up like her peers and became
an important member of her class relay team.
In November 1954, Sasaki developed swellings on her neck and
behind her ears. In January 1955, purpura had formed on her legs.
Subsequently, she was diagnosed with acute malignant lymph
gland leukemia (her mother and others in Hiroshima referred to it as
"atomic bomb disease"). She was hospitalized on February 20, 1955,
and given a year to live.
Several years after the atomic explosion an increase
in leukemia was observed, especially among children. By the early
1950s, it was clear that the leukemia was caused by radiation
exposure.
She was admitted as a patient to the Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital
for treatment and given blood transfusions on February 21, 1955. By
the time she was admitted, her white blood cell count was six times Born Sadako Sasaki
higher compared to the levels of an average child. January 7, 1943
In August 1955, she was moved into a room with a girl named Kiyo, Kusunoki-cho
a junior high school student who was two years older than her. It was Hiroshima, Japan
shortly after getting this roommate that cranes were brought to her
room from a local high school club. Sasaki's father, Shigeo, told her Died October 25,
the legend of the cranes and she set herself a goal of folding 1,000 of
1955 (aged 12)
them, which was believed to grant the folder a wish. Although she
had plenty of free time during her days in the hospital, Sasaki lacked Red Cross Hospital
paper. She would use medicine wrappings and whatever else she Hiroshima, Japan
could scrounge; this included going to other patients' rooms to ask to
use the paper from their get-well presents. Her best friend, Chizuko Cause of death Leukemia
Hamamoto, would bring paper from school for Sasaki to use.
A popular version of the story is that Sasaki fell short of her goal of Resting place Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
folding 1,000 cranes, having folded only 644 before her death, and
that her friends completed the 1,000 and buried them all with her. Nationality Japanese
(This comes from the novelized version of her life Sadako and the
Thousand Paper Cranes.) However, an exhibit which appeared in
Occupation Student
the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum stated that by the end of
August 1955, Sasaki had achieved her goal and continued to fold
300 more cranes. Sadako's older brother, Masahiro Sadako, says in his book The Complete Story of Sadako Sasaki that she
exceeded her goal.
During her time in the hospital, her condition progressively worsened. Around mid-October, her left leg became swollen and
turned purple. After her family urged her to eat something, Sasaki requested tea on rice and remarked "It's tasty". She then
thanked her family. Those were her last words. With her family and friends around her, Sasaki died on the morning of October
25, 1955, at the age of 12.
After her death, Sasaki's body was examined by the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) for research on the effects
of the atomic bomb on the human body. It was later revealed that the ABCC had also conducted tests on Sasaki while she was
alive for the same reasons.
After her death, Sasaki's friends and schoolmates published a collection of letters in order to raise funds to build a memorial to
her and all of the children who had died from the effects of the atomic bomb, for example the Japanese girl Yoko Moriwaki. In
1958, a statue of Sasaki holding a golden crane was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. At the foot of the statue
is a plaque that reads: "This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world."
There is also a statue of her in the Seattle Peace Park. Sasaki has become a leading symbol of the impact of nuclear war. Sasaki
is also a heroine for many girls in Japan. Her story is told in some Japanese schools on the anniversary of
the Hiroshima bombing. Dedicated to Sasaki, people all over Japan celebrate August 6 as the annual peace day.