Man sacrificed land to help ailing daughter, sees her recovery

On Monday, when the doctor of Harbin Children's Hospital told Cai Yazhou that the white blood count of Yaoyao showed a continuous increase, his eyes turned red immediately.

Cai, 27, came to Harbin in November from Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolian autonomous region, hoping to get help for his 5-year-old daughter Yaoyao, who was diagnosed five years ago with extreme aplastic anemia, a potentially fatal blood disorder.

When he got the news, he sought treatment in different hospitals in Tianjin, Henan, Hebei and Shandong.

However, Yaoyao didn't get better, while the family was lacking money.

When the villagers said he could make money by gathering herbs in the mountains, he started without hesitation, even though they also told him it was really dangerous.

"There were several times that I came across vipers, wild boars and black bears," Cai said. "Fortunately, I ran faster than them."

"When I thought about how I can get money for my daughter's treatment, I didn't feel afraid at all," he added.

In the beginning of 2017, he decided to try his last thin hope -- a bone marrow transplant.

After a series of examinations in Harbin Children's Hospital, he was told that his bone marrow could help cure his daughter's disease.

"My wife feared that the donation might harm my health because the whole family needs my support," Cai said. "But I told my daughter that I will do anything for her."

Fortunately, Yaoyao's surgery on Dec 11 was a success and now she is in good condition, which made her young but brave father see the hope of her recovery.