Chutian Golden Newspaper (Weibo) - For a man who has been drinking three times a day for 30 years and smoking for over 20 years, what kind of motivation could possibly make him quit these addictions completely? Xiao Shengquan, aged 54, has provided an answer through his actions: that is fatherly love. In the past five months, he has quit smoking and drinking, and started running 5 kilometers every morning, all to give his son a healthy kidney.
Last night, I met with Xiao Shengquan in the organ transplant ward at Tongji Hospital. Facing my questions, he simply said: "A father saving his son is an instinct, I just did what a father should do."
The son's kidneys had failed and urgently needed a transplant. Xiao Shengquan was a staff member at the canteen of Xiaogang Town Junior High School in Xiaonan District, Xiaogan City. He had one daughter and one son; the elder daughter was already married, while the younger son, Xiao Shun (a pseudonym), was 29 years old this year. In 2009, Xiao Shun suddenly felt unwell and was diagnosed with chronic nephritis at a local hospital, requiring long-term medication to improve his kidney function. This April, Xiao Shun’s condition worsened and was diagnosed with bilateral kidney failure. Kidney dialysis was only a temporary measure to sustain life; the only way out was to undergo a kidney transplant.
After two months of dialysis, Xiao Shun's health continued to deteriorate. The doctor said that if a kidney transplant wasn't done promptly, there might be a risk to his life. After discussing it as a family, they decided that Xiao Shun's mother would be tested for compatibility. His father, Xiao Shengquan, was the pillar of the family, and they couldn’t let both father and son take the risk. Unfortunately, the mother's kidney didn't match.
"Saving my son's life is the most important thing, I'll do it!" Xiao Shengquan didn't hesitate for a moment. The family also knew that the usually quiet and reserved man never changed his mind once he made a decision.
Every day battling with alcohol and nicotine addiction
In July, Xiao Shengquan went to Tongji Hospital with his son for compatibility testing, which proved successful. At that time, Xiao Shengquan weighed 70 kilograms, slightly overweight. The chief surgeon was Professor Ming Changsheng from Tongji Hospital's Organ Transplantation Research Institute. Professor Ming conducted detailed preoperative examinations and found that Xiao Shengquan might have cardiovascular disease risks. He recommended adjusting his lifestyle, quitting smoking and drinking, and appropriately losing weight.
The next day, Xiao Shengquan put away his wine glass and threw away his cigarette box. He had been drinking three meals a day for 30 years, and putting down the glass suddenly made him very uncomfortable. "Whenever I pick up my bowl, I think about wine, but my son needs me to save his life, so I have to endure no matter how hard it is!" Xiao Shengquan said. The hardest part was when the alcohol craving hit, making him feel like his heart was being clawed by cats, and he didn’t even know what he ate. He had been smoking for 20 years, averaging a pack every two days. When the cravings came, he could only eat some snacks to distract himself. By nature introverted, in order not to let others know that he was going to give his kidney to his son, he ran on the playground before the boarding students got up every day. As long as it didn't rain, he persisted in running 5 kilometers every day.
Xiao Shun's wife, Hu Mingyan, told reporters that her father-in-law used to love fatty meat so much that he couldn't eat without it. But since the decision to donate a kidney, he hasn't touched any fatty meat.
"I saved my son because it's a father's instinct"
On December 23rd, after adjusting his weight to 65 kilograms, Xiao Shengquan lay on the operating table with Xiao Shun. Professor Ming Changsheng performed the kidney transplant surgery on both of them simultaneously, transplanting Xiao Shengquan's left kidney into Xiao Shun's body. On the third day post-surgery, the new kidney worked normally inside Xiao Shun's body, and his recovery was progressing smoothly. It was expected that he would be transferred out of the ICU within a week.
Due to the preoperative adjustments, Xiao Shengquan's body recovered quickly, and he was scheduled to be discharged today. During the interview, Xiao Shengquan requested that the reporter conceal his son's name: "Saving my son is a father's instinct, I don't think it's anything special. My child still has a long way to go, there's no need for too many people to know, and I don't want the kidney transplant to affect his future life."
Yesterday, Xiaogang Middle School posted online, telling this touching story and appealing for donations from teachers and students: "Teacher Xiao Shengquan works diligently, tirelessly, treats people kindly, and his heroic act of donating a kidney to save his son exemplifies the true meaning of paternal love. The school sincerely requests that all sectors of society actively help Xiao Shengquan and his son, lighting the beacon of hope for their lives!" The school published contact information: telephone number 0712-2612188; donation account: Agricultural Bank of China Xiaogang Branch, Xiao Jun 6228481611718780813. (Reporter Xiao Qingqing, Communicator Chen Shi, Cai Min)
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