Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

A 26-YEAR-OLD man has become Shenzhen’s 800th person, and the country’s 19,098th, to donate hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) to an unrelated recipient.

The peripheral blood stem cell collection took place at the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital yesterday. The collected HSCs arrived at the recipient’s hospital in Guangzhou the same day for transplantation.

“I didn’t hesitate at all. I was just donating a part of my body and it wouldn’t affect my health. Why wouldn’t I do it to save a life?” Chen Feng, the stem cell donor, said during the donation.

A thank-you letter from the recipient also made Chen’s day. “Your kindness has given me new life and hope, and your selfless dedication has shown me the brilliance of humanity and made me cherish life even more,” the anonymous recipient said in the letter.

“I will give back to society with actions, pass on your love, and let more people feel the warmth,” the recipient added.

According to Chen, his journey of blood donation commenced with a special choice he made at 18. He volunteered to mark his transition into adulthood in a unique manner — by independently visiting a blood donation center and accomplishing his first-ever blood donation.

Upon entering university, Chen became a member of the Chinese Young Volunteers Association and made it a routine to donate blood annually.

Over the span of eight years, Chen has donated a total of 24 times. In recognition of his unwavering commitment, he was honored with the bronze award for national blood donation dedication for the year 2020-2021.

After relocating to Shenzhen for work, Chen became a regular fixture at the blood donation vehicle, making an appearance nearly every time the donation interval arrived. He learned from staff members that there is another life-saving option — donating HSCs. Without hesitation, he joined the China Marrow Donor Program (CMDP).

On Aug. 1, 2000, Shenzhen became the first city in China to establish a database of HSC donors. Since then, the city has been committed to promoting the development of HSC donation. Especially since 2022, the number of donors has been increasing year by year. Shenzhen has recorded over 100 donations annually for three consecutive years, and Chen’s donation is the 119th this year.

“We expect to complete 124 HSC donations this year, setting a new record for a single year,” said Ning Li, Party chief and director of the Shenzhen Blood Center.

The CMDP reached a significant milestone Dec. 6, accomplishing 19,000 cases of non-related HSC donations. Currently, the CMDP boasts a vast pool of 3.489 million HSC donors.