The Thousand Paper Cranes
Origami Crane, a symbol of hope
Sadako was two years old when the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Many children like Sadako fell ill after the explosion. After being diagnosed with leukemia from radiation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Sadako’s friend told her to fold origami paper cranes (orizuru) in hope of making a thousand of them. She was inspired to do so by the Japanese legend that one who created a thousand origami cranes would be granted a wish. Her wish was simply to live through her disease so she could fulfill her dream of being on the running team. In this retelling of her story, she managed to fold only 644 cranes before she became too weak to fold any more, and died in her sleep on the morning of October 25, 1955, knowing her family will always be there. Her friends and family helped finish her dream by folding the rest of the cranes, which were buried with Sadako.
