Sadako Sasaki was two when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima Japan,
Nine years later Sadako was picked to be a track runner from her class. It was 1954 and she was eleven years old.

Sadako started to feel strange while practicing for the race. After winning the race, Sadako fainted. When she woke up she was in the hospital. Sadako was diagnosed with atomic bomb sickness known today as leukemia. Sadako’s friend reminded her about the legend of paper cranes. If a person folded a thousand paper cranes they could make a wish. Sadako hoped she could fold one thousand cranes and wish to be well again.

She only folded 654 cranes before she died. Her classmates also folded 346 cranes so she was buried with one thousand paper cranes on October 25, 1955.