"You may think this donation was promoted by a sudden impulse, but I think it was destined to happen", said Zhou Jiale who donated 225 ml of hematopoietic stem cells coagulation solution on August 26, 2020, one month after he graduated from Tianjin University with a bachelor’s degree.

“Actually, I have prepared for this donation since I participated in hematopoietic stem cell blood sampling in my sophomore year”. At the end of 2017, Zhou Jiale, who was then a sophomore student, ran into a hematopoietic stem cell blood sample collection activity sponsored by the Tianjin Red Cross Society and registered to become a potential donor enlisted in China marrow donor program. “I have never doubted that I would be helpful to some body one day”, said Zhou Jiale and this thought eventually led to the donation three years later.

When Zhou received the first call, asking his will to donate on August 5, he agreed without any hesitation.

“What I worried most was that my body was not qualified enough to help others." This is the first thing Zhou Jiale considered after he learned about the preliminary successful match with the patient to receive his donation. Hematopoietic stem cell donation has a high demand on donors’ physique, body weight and blood indicators, and more detailed inspection are required after the preliminary match to decide if the donor is qualified.

After the collection date was fixed, Zhou immediately went to the hospital in Tianjin to prepare for the collection. During the week waiting for the collection, Zhou Jiale recorded the happiness gained by helping others in his WeChat moments.

“I think it will bring me greater joy if I can let more people know about the donation channels of hematopoietic stem cells and get enlisted as potential donors. Then more people will benefit from the donation” said Zhou Jiale.

Zhou Jiale graduated from Tianjin University this summer. He said that he wanted to become an educator and continue to devote himself to society.

By Wang Yuanyi & Wu Zifei

Editor: Eva Yin