Eleven-year-old Liang Yaoyi from South China’s Guangdong Province passed away on June 6 after a two year battle with brain cancer. Despite several treatments and surgeries, doctors were not able to get rid of the tumor in his brain.
According to Liang’s mother, as he neared the end of his life, he shared with her that he wanted to save the lives of other children by donating his organs. He had probably read about tissue contribution at school in China by reading a story about bone marrow contributions to treat leukemia and another titled,” Immortal Eyes.” His mother said she told him:
“I have seen many people doing good deeds and I think they are great. I want to be a great child too.”
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The doctors were able to harvest his kidneys and liver before he passed away. They were successfully transplanted into other people who needed them. The medical staff were moved by Liang’s bravery and selflessness, and a photo was captured of them bowing three times in a gesture to show their deepest respect for Liang.
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Science has come a long way in the development of synthetic blood for transfusion and leukemia treatment, and replacement organs made from stem cells. However, none of these advancements are far enough along to relace the need for human blood, bone marrow and organ donors.
Just how great is the need in the United States? Here’s what IFLScience has to say:
BLOOD: Someone needs blood every two seconds in the United States, and 41,000 contributions are needed each day to meet this demand. Over 30 million blood components are used each year for a variety of reasons, including those undergoing chemotherapy, those with diseases like sickle cell disease, and those who have suffered trauma, like a car accident.
BONE MARROW: Around 49 bone marrow transplants are performed each day in the US, though that isn’t quite enough to meet demand. Six people die each hour from blood cancer, and someone else is diagnosed every four minutes.
ORGANS: Over 100,000 people are currently on the wait list to receive a donated organ in the United States. Eighteen people die every day while they wait in vain for the life-saving phone call that never comes. Another name is added to the list every ten minutes.
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We are clearly touched by Liang’s selfless act to help those in need. What a brave young boy. However, organ harvesting is a HUGE BUSINESS, especially in China. In fact, we reported last month about the massive coverup in in the communist country – an international tribunal concluded that China has been forcibly removing organs from prisoners for years.
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China has one of the largest organ transplant programs in the world with organ transplant wait times significantly lower than other countries. The United States Department of Health and Human Services reports that the average waiting period for organs in the U.S. is two years for a liver and three years for a kidney. In China, the waiting period for these same organs at some hospitals is calculated in weeks.
What are your thoughts on organ contribution?
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