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Li Zi checks on her brother, Li Guoshuo, whose condition has stabilised after two months of treatment. Photo: yangtse.com

Chinese teen sacrifices college entrance exam to donate bone marrow to her brother

  • Li Zi, 18, was preparing for the all-important gaokao when her younger sibling was diagnosed with a rare form of anaemia
  • They are recovering after undergoing surgery last month and Li will help care for her brother instead of taking the test in June

A high school student from eastern China decided to miss this year’s national college entrance exam to care for and donate bone marrow to her brother, who has a rare form of anaemia.

Li Zi, 18, from Lianyungang in Jiangsu province, was preparing for the exam, known as the gaokao , when her brother Li Guoshuo, who is in Year Seven, was diagnosed with aplastic anaemia in December, Yangtze Evening News reported.

Patients suffering from the condition do not produce enough new blood cells. One of the few treatments available is a bone marrow transplant. Tests showed Li Zi was a match, while the siblings’ parents had low compatibility, according to the report on Monday.

“I can take the gaokao next year, but there was only one chance to save my brother,” Li Zi was quoted as saying. She decided to forgo the 2019 exam to help care for her brother.

China’s college entrance exam is held in June each year. Seen as the key to a good university and a bright future, students spend years preparing for the highly intensive test, with the last year of high school completely dedicated to acing the gaokao. Missing this year’s exam means Li Zi will have to wait until next year to qualify for university entrance.

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Li Zi and Li Guoshuo underwent surgery last month to transfer the bone marrow from donor to patient, the newspaper reported.

“My daughter had 800ml of blood extracted, 1,000ml of blood containing bone marrow and 400ml of stem cells for my son,” Li Qidong, their father, was quoted as saying. “I will never forget these numbers. The two of them have suffered a lot.”

Li Guoshuo’s condition has stabilised after two months of treatment and Li Zi has been recovering well from surgery. But the medical bills have left the family indebted – they have had to borrow from family and friends and rely on donations from the community, according to the report.

Chinese social media users praised Li Zi for her selflessness and wished the siblings well.

“I wish for the brother to be healthy and safe. The sister is a role model,” a Weibo user from Shanxi province wrote.

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