Sadako Sasaki On , the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima Ten years later, 12yearold Sadako Sasaki died of radiation sickness Her classmates raised money to erect a children's monument in Hiroshima's Peace Park and triggered a worldwide effort by children to fold thousands of origami paper cranes as their prayers for peace on earthSadako Sasaki was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on her city of Hiroshima at the end of World War II Ten years later, just as the world around her was starting to feel normal again, this energietic, enthusiastic girl and firstrate runner was fighting for her life She had contracted "atomic bomb disease" Sadako sasaki statue hiroshima peace park