CHINA’S ‘BLOOD DONOR KING’, KNOWN FOR HIS 313 DONATIONS, SEEKS PUBLIC HELP AFTER STROKE
Yang, driven by his dream of being a doctor, believes donating blood also saves lives
A man in southwestern China, affectionately dubbed the "blood donation king" for his remarkable achievement of donating blood over 300 times in the past two decades, is now seeking public financial support after suffering a stroke.
Yang Xiuwei, 59, a resident of Chengdu in Sichuan province, suddenly experienced dizziness and collapsed while visiting a relative at the end of January, as reported by the news portal The Cover.
His wife, Xie Suhua, quickly took him to a major hospital in the city, where Yang was diagnosed with a cerebral infarction.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
"A narrowing occurred in the cerebelli, vermis, and a primary blood vessel in his brain. The stroke happened in an acute manner," a doctor stated. "He should be hospitalised for observation for 10 to 14 days."
Xie explained that Yang works as a cleaner, while she does not have stable employment. Together, they earn 3,000 yuan (US$410) per month, relying on Yang's mother, who is in her 90s, to subsidise their rent from her pension.
Their son is a migrant worker in another city and did not return home to celebrate the Lunar New Year with them.
Xie paid a deposit of 2,000 yuan when her husband was hospitalised, but after just a week of treatment, the medical costs have already soared to 10,000 yuan.
"As this amount exceeds our financial capacity, we are planning to seek help from the public through a crowdfunding website," she said.
It remains unclear what the total medical expenses for Yang will be.
Yang began his blood donation journey in 2005 and has since contributed a total of 313 times, assisting at least 622 individuals. Most of his donations were for blood platelets.
He ranks as the top blood donor in the province for the number of donations. His last donation occurred on January 18.
Yang expressed his enthusiasm for donating blood, rooted in a lifelong aspiration to become a doctor. "I may not have become a doctor, but donating blood is also a way of saving lives," he said.
His wife supports him wholeheartedly, stating: "It's a noble act to donate blood. He finds joy in it, and that brings me happiness."
Xie mentioned that each time after Yang donates blood, she prepares generous and nutritious meals to promote his health.
Yang expressed surprise at experiencing a stroke, noting: "I've rarely faced serious illnesses in the past; even catching a cold is a rarity for me."
Yang's plea for financial aid has sparked widespread discussion on mainland social media platforms.
"He is helped so many people. I hope our society will not let him down this time," one online observer commented.
Another added: "Wishing him a speedy recovery. Good things happen to good people."
More Articles from SCMP
Helper wins case against Hong Kong employer who repeatedly asked her for sex
DeepSeek’s Chinese lessons, Wang Yi in Britain: SCMP daily highlights
Shanghai’s Temple Square mall sells below valuation in auction amid debt crisis
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
Copyright (c) 2025. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
2025-02-14T01:10:36Z
