Xinjiang blood donor honored as 'moral model' for donating 74 pints

A former soldier has been celebrated by a city in Northwestern China for donating dozens of liters of blood over the past decade.

Wang Junzhou has been named a "moral model" by the government of Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, after providing enough blood for at least 170 treatments.

"Every ordinary citizen can become a role model," he said. "If you keep doing things for the public good, it makes society warmer and life more meaningful. Once giving becomes a habit, life will be filled with happiness."

The 45-year-old first donated in 1992, when he was serving with the People's Liberation Army and stationed in the eastern city of Jinan, Shandong province.

After leaving the military, he moved to Urumqi to work at a dairy company in 2008 and has since donated 92 times, giving a total of 35,000 milliliters (about 74 pints). He estimated he has given about 74,000 ml since the 1990s.

Wang said he was motivated to become a regular donor 22 years ago when his father underwent surgery and needed a blood transfusion. The local blood collection center sent an appeal for volunteers, which ultimately saved his father's life. He has made donations as often as possible ever since.

"I want to do whatever I can to give back to society," he said shortly before making his third donation of 2017 this month. "Blood donations can save lives. Some say it's a responsibility, but I see it as a habit now."

He added that he hopes his blood can be used for patients in urgent need who have no family or friends around them to help.

In keeping with his charitable spirit, Wang said he keeps just one-third of his monthly salary of 6,000 yuan ($870) and sends the rest to relatives in his native Chifeng, Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

For some in China, there is still a stigma attached to donating blood, as people think it is unhealthy and can harm the body.

"When I first gave blood in 2013, my family was concerned about my health, but I found that giving blood does not negatively affect the body at all," said Nafisa, 20, who recently visited a blood collection center in Urumqi. "In reality, it could save someone's life, so I keep doing it."

Wang has vowed to give blood until he reaches the age limit for donors, which is 60 in China.

Guo Xiaojun contributed to this story.

maoweihua@chinadaily.com.cn