“Mom! Guess what I did today?” Qingru asked his mother on his 18th birthday in 2014. “I donated blood today and helped someone! That was the first time Zhao Qingru donated blood.
Before his 18th birthday, on his way home in his hometown of Xinxiang, Henan, Qingru would frequently pass a blood donation truck and notice people lining up to donate. He had some reservations, but he was also intrigued by the opportunity to help others. On the day of his 18th birthday, he made the decision to donate.
Zhao Qingru, currently a second-year PhD student at SIGS, has continued this tradition to this day, donating every six months, including on his birthday. To this day, he has donated 13 times and 5200 mL of blood.
Qingru’s blood donation certificates
During one of his biannual blood donations, a nurse mentioned blood stem cell donation, a type of donation that replaces a recipient patient’s unhealthy stem cells with a healthy donor’s. Committed blood donor Qingru was intrigued by the idea of helping more people.
The decision would come with great responsibility. At the clinic, the nurse verified his intention several times before inputting him into the registry. She emphasized the significance of the donation: the donation is the last hope for many patients. A donor deciding not to continue with the donation can lead to grave consequences for recipient patients.
Qingru was not deterred and enthusiastically signed the consent form. He wasn’t going to miss his chance to make a difference.
Qingru on the SIGS campus
In June of this year, Qingru received a call from his mother. The Red Cross had informed her that there was a patient who was a potential match. During the summer holiday, Qingru returned home to verify compatibility with the recipient patient.
In early August, Qingru was notified that he was a match. It's a great thing to be able to save a patient's life, but I was also very worried, fearing that there would be issues with the process that could affect the patient's treatment,” expressed Qingru.
Preparations for the donation began on August 22, four days prior to the donation day, when Qingru checked into the Second People’s Hospital of Shenzhen. During this time, he received a total of eight injections of a medication that stimulates the production and release of blood stem cells. He experienced some soreness, swelling, and fatigue as a result, but overall, the injections had minimal effect on his body.
Qingru on donation day
The stem cell collection then began on the morning of August 26. The process took over six hours. “Normally, the average collection time is two to four hours. I broke the record,” said Qingru with a smile. Upon completion of the collection, the stem cells were hand-delivered to Beijing by a Red Cross staff.
With his donation, Qingru has become China’s 15,907th and Shenzhen’s 636th stem cell donor.
For about a month after the donation, Qingru experienced some soreness but was able to follow his usual daily routine without an issue. I hope my stem cells can help this patient, and I hope the patient can recover as soon as possible,” said Qingru.
A thank-you letter sent to Qingru by the recipient patient
Qingru hopes his story will encourage more and more people to participate in blood and stem cell donation in the future. “We must believe in science, hospitals, and the professional medical staff. We must also believe in ourselves and give ourselves more encouragement. If we can really save one person's life, it is a great honor.”
Written by Alena Shish
Edited by Yuan Yang
Photos by Zhao Qingru & Huang Yinsi
Layout by Yang Jun
Reference: Shenzhen Blood Center
