A 13-year-old Chinese boy was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a life-threatening condition, after being asked to do 1,000 squats as punishment during summer camp.

Ms. Lu, a mother-of-one from Jining, in China’s Shandong Province, recently revealed the tragic story of how her teenage son suffered a corporeal punishment that threatened to leave him disabled for life. It all happened last summer when the boy was enrolled in a 7-day camp where he could interact with other kids and engage in physical activities. Everything was fine until graduation day when the parents received pictures from the ceremony in which their son had visibly red eyes and a sad expression. His father noticed that one of the boy’s legs appeared limp, but when they asked the camp organizers about him, they were told everything was alright. It was only when they went to pick him up that they realized the seriousness of the situation. Their 13-year-old boy was waiting for them on a stool because he could barely stand up.

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Upon questioning their son, the two parents learned that before the graduation one of the teachers caught him talking to other kids during a drill and ordered him to do 1,000 squats as punishment. After reaching 200 squats, he collapsed on the ground of muscle pain, but instead of helping him, the teacher kicked him and let him grovel on the floor in pain. He was only helped off the ground and seated on a stool when the graduation ceremony started, and only because parents had begun to arrive.

As the 13-year-old boy complained of severe pain, his father asked one of the camp teachers to accompany him to a nearby hospital to have his legs checked out, so they went to the local Jiaxiang County People’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with a simple muscle strain and given some ointment. However, in the following days, the boy’s legs hurt so much that he couldn’t even walk or even sleep at night, so his parents took him to the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College where doctors diagnosed him with rhabdomyolysis.

Rhabdomyolysis is a life-threatening condition usually caused by high-intensity exercise over a short period of time. It causes the rapid breakdown of skeletal muscles and, if left untreated, can affect the liver and kidneys. In the boy’s case, the condition had been caused by the high number of squats. His situation was so serious that the doctor placed him in a wheelchair immediately.

After 13 days of treatment at the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College, the teen was discharged, but he never made a full recovery. Now 14 years of age, the unnamed boy is still unable to lead a normal life, and will most likely never be able to engage in any serious physical activities. His leg muscles are now atrophied and he suffered liver and kidney damage.

Ms. Lu said that after the terrible ordeal with their son, they tried confronting the camp organizers about the physical abuse their child had been subjected to. Even though everyone denied any wrongdoing at first, when the other kids corroborated his story, they admitted to the corporeal punishment. After negotiations, a settlement was reached between the parents and the camp organizers and legal procedures are underway.