(Thanks to Hiroshima International School) http://www.hiroshima-is.ac.jp/index.php?page=sadako-story) Sadako Sasaki was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. She was two kilometers away from where the bomb exploded. Most of Sadako's neighbors died, but Sadako wasn't injured at all, at least not in any way people could see.
Up until the age of 12 (1955) she was a normal, happy girl. However, one day after an important relay race that she helped her team win, she felt extremely tired and dizzy. Soon after, Sadako found out that she had leukemia
Shortly thereafter, her best friend, Chizuko, came to visit her. Chizuko brought some origami paper. She explained that the crane, a sacred bird in Japan, lives for a hundred years, and if a sick person folds 1,000 paper cranes, then that person would soon get well. After hearing the legend, Sadako decided to fold 1,000 cranes in the hope that she would get well again.
Sadako kept folding cranes even during times of great pain. She tried to be cheerful and hopeful. Not long afterwards, Sadako died peacefully. She had folded a total of 644 paper cranes.
Everyone was very sad. Thirty-nine of Sadako's classmates decided to form a paper crane club to honour her. Word spread quickly. Students from 3,100 schools and from 9 foreign countries gave money to the cause. On May 5, 1958, almost 3 years after Sadako had died, enough money was collected to build a monument in her honor. The Children's Peace Monument is located in the center of Hiroshima Peace Park, close to the spot where the atomic bomb was dropped.
Children from all over the world now send folded paper cranes to be placed beneath Sadako’s statue. In so doing, they make the same wish which is engraved on the base of the statue:
This is our cry, This is our prayer, Peace in the world".