Donate blood to save lives

By Ma Yuhan, Liu Huiyan also contributed to this article.

Each year, approximately 50,000 people in Yichang voluntarily donate blood, contributing to a donation rate of 12.9 per thousand people. This selfless act of kindness not only helps to save lives but also inspires others to find ways to give back in their communities.
 

Tian Shuanglong

One such donor is Tian Shuanglong, a 36-year-old delivery worker, who has been donating blood since the age of 18. He began donating whole blood in 2007 while studying in Wuhan, and in 2018, he transitioned to donating apheresis blood, which allows him to donate more frequently which in turn helps more people. Tian donates one to two times a month, with a remarkable 22 apheresis donations in 2020 alone.
 

Zhang Miao

Another dedicated donor, Zhang Miao, began his blood donation journey in 1998 after graduating from Yichang Health School. His first donation of 200 milliliters marked the start of a 26-year commitment to helping save lives, during which he has donated 9,200 milliliters of blood across 27 sessions. In addition to blood donations, Zhang became the first person in Yichang to successfully donate stem cells, saving a leukemia patient in 2008. Inspired by Zhang, his friend Xie Hui joined the China Marrow Donor Program and, in 2017, donated stem cells to save the life of an 18-year-old leukemia patient in Guangzhou.

Yichang's community of donors has grown significantly, with over 9,400 volunteers registered in the China Marrow Donor Program and 71 successful stem cell donations recorded. Their efforts exemplify the power of altruism, creating a bridge of hope for those in need.