A Chinese man struggling to raise millions of yuan for his wife’s cancer treatment has received an extraordinary act of kindness after a mystery donor gifted him 50 tonnes of sweet potatoes, according to a report by South China Morning Post.
A family pushed to the brink
The man, 35 year old Jia Changlong, was recently seen selling sweet potatoes at a street stall in Jinan, in Shandong province. Jia is originally from Dezhou in the same province, while he and his wife, surnamed Li, now live in Yantai with their eight year old son.
Jia and Li were secondary school classmates before getting married. Li, a housewife, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in July. After undergoing initial treatment, she is currently recovering at home.
So far, the family has spent 350,000 yuan on her medical care. The next stage, a bone marrow transplant, is expected to cost another 400,000 yuan. If targeted drugs become necessary, the total expense could rise to as much as two million yuan.
“The 350,000 yuan came from our savings and borrowing from friends and relatives. But now, we have borrowed from everyone we could. I even sold my computer. There is nothing left to sell,” Jia said.
{{/usCountry}}“The 350,000 yuan came from our savings and borrowing from friends and relatives. But now, we have borrowed from everyone we could. I even sold my computer. There is nothing left to sell,” Jia said.
{{/usCountry}}“I just want us to be able to watch our child grow up together. That is our shared wish.”
A social media appeal and an unexpected message
Jia shared his story on social media, hoping for understanding and modest support. His post quickly gained attention and sympathy.
In mid December, while travelling by train from Yantai to Jinan to consult his wife’s doctor, Jia received an unexpected friend request online. The message came from a 50 year old man surnamed Fang, who said he had around 50 tonnes of sweet potatoes he wanted to donate.
“Sell them and use the money for your wife’s treatment. I will send them to you in batches. Just find a place to store them,” Fang told him.
Sweet potatoes and renewed hope
Fang later told Jimu News that he grows sweet potatoes himself and also collects them from other farmers. The donated produce was part of this year’s harvest. As Jia had no storage space, Fang arranged for deliveries by truck in batches, starting with around 1,000kg.
“This young man is very responsible. He is going through a tough time, so I wanted to help. If I can lend a hand, I will,” Fang said.
Jia set up his stall at the entrance of a morning market, displaying a sign reading “Gratitude Charity Sale” and explaining his wife’s condition. By December 25, the first batch had sold out, earning about 5,000 yuan, with more already on the way.
“That kind hearted man was like a beam of light shining into my life when I was at my lowest. Honestly, I do not even know how to thank him. I also want to thank every single Jinan citizen who came to buy sweet potatoes or showed concern for us,” Jia said tearfully.