Girl is saved thanks to transplant and stangers' donations

A 10-year-old girl is now happily going to school in the city of Zhaoqing, about 110 kilometers from Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

Zhen Zhen, who once suffered from serious blood disorder, thalassemiais, is now recovering after a bone marrow transplant in Guangzhou, Guangzhou Daily reported.

The primary school pupil in grade one has been busy seeing doctors in major hospitals in Guangdong in the past decade.

To help save Zhen Zhen, her parents had another four children, hoping that one would have the same type of bone marrow that matches their oldest daughter's.

Zhang Qiubo, Zhen Zhen's mother, said she never wanted to give up her effort to save her daughter, despite financial strains.

Zhen Zhen was born in 2007 and thalassemia was detected 9 or 10 months later.

"Zhen Zhen had frequent fevers and other symptoms at that time," Zhang said

A rural doctor told her that the treatment was expensive and that Zhen Zhen would likely not live for more than 10 years, Zhang said .

And Zhang's husband at one point said he wanted to give up their efforts to save their daughter because they had failed to find a donor match from among Zhen Zhen's 3 siblings , according to Zhang.

"I could understand my husband's thoughts (to give up Zhen Zhen), as street vendors, we could earn about 3,000 yuan ($437) a month at that time," she said.

"But I can not stop loving my daughter. I can not," Zhang said. "I will do anything I can to help save my daughter."

To help raise money to pay her daughter's medical bills, Zhang prepared to beg on the street for money.

Zhen Zhen was given hope only when Zhang became pregnant again in April 2014. Zhang was told by doctors that the marrow of her fifth child would match Zhen Zhen's.

Furthermore, Zhen Zhen quickly won public sympathy after her story was published by local media.

With donations from local foundations and warm-hearted residents, Zhen Zhen underwent a bone marrow transplant in a hospital affiliated with Guangxi Medical University in Nanning, capital of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in April 2015.

Zhang is now living in her hometown of Meizhou in the eastern part of Guangdong, looking after her four children, while Zhen Zhen is living with Zhang's migrant worker husband in Zhaoqing.

"Heartfelt thanks go to the kind-hearted people who donated and helped Zhen Zhen. I hope to be able to repay society in the future," Zhang added.

Contact the writer at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn