Local teacher becomes Wuxi's first stem cell donor of 2016

A math teacher at Yuqi High School has become a hero after donating his hematopoietic stem cells to save a child's life, Wuxi Daily reported.

Jiang Zhongwei, who has been a registered stem cell donor since he was a high school student, first found out that he had been matched with a 15-year-old leukemia patient from Yunnan province in June. He was both happy and nervous that he would have the chance to save a life.

The local teacher underwent the treatment at Nanjing Zhongda Hospital on Sept 19, becoming the first stem cell donor in Wuxi in 2016. Approximately 234 milliliters of his hematopoietic stem cells were removed during the treatment, which were immediately rushed to Yunnan.

Jiang Zhongwei, a math teacher at Wuxi Yuqi High School, recovers in bed after undergoing treatment to donate his hematopoietic stem cells on Sept 19. [Photo/wxrb.com]

The operation lasted five and a half hours, but Jiang has no regrets. He told reporters he hopes that more people can contribute by becoming donors.

There are 4 million people on waiting lists for stem cell transplants across China.