The 62-year-old Taiwanese man who carried his ill mum to hospital was up for promotion at the Burea of Investigation in Taiwan, but he passed it up and applied for early retirement so that he could take care of his mother.

The man, Ting Tsu-chi has been thrusted into the media spotlight after a photo of him carrying his mother to a hospital went viral online. He has since stayed mum on the incident and declined interviews, stating that 'these are his personal affairs'.

Ting reportedly applied for early retirement five years ago in order to take care of his elderly mother.

Ting reportedly told his former boss Mo Tien-hu, currently the chief of the Tainan Bureau of Investigation in Taiwan that his mother has had a stroke and cannot move well, and that she broke her leg last month. He added that because his mother is fragile and thin, sitting in a wheelchair would be not suitable for her, as her broken leg could be hurt if it bumped into anything. Hence, he decided that using a wrapping cloth to carry his mother would be the best option to take her to the hospital.

According to Mo, Ting's mother was depressed after losing her husband in 2006. She asked Ting to take her back to mainland China to visit their relatives, and he complied. At the time, he was up for promotion at the Bureau of Investigation, but he rejected it so that he could take care of his mother.

STOMPer TouchedMyHeart wrote:

"I am deeply touched by the fact that this man did not abandon his mother for the sake of success (in career).

"How many people would do that in today's society which conditions us to believe that we can find happiness in material wealth?"