Chutian Golden Newspaper (Weibo) reports: What kind of motivation could possibly lead a man, who has been drinking three times a day for 30 years and smoking for over 20 years, to completely quit his addictions? XIAO Shengquan, aged 54, provided the answer through his actions: that is fatherly love. In the past five months, he has quit smoking and drinking, running 5 kilometers every morning, all just to give his son a healthy kidney.
"I saving my son is a father's instinct."
XIAO Shengquan is an employee at the canteen of Xiaogan City's Xiaonan District Xiaogang Town Junior High School. He has one daughter and one son; his elder daughter is already married, while his younger son, XIAO Shun (a pseudonym), is 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 kidney function. In April this year, XIAO Shun's condition worsened and was diagnosed with bilateral renal failure. Kidney dialysis could only temporarily sustain life, and the only viable option was a kidney transplant.
On December 23, XIAO Shengquan, whose weight had been adjusted to 65 kilograms, lay on the operating table alongside XIAO Shun. Professor MING Changsheng performed the kidney transplant surgery simultaneously on both father and son, transplanting XIAO Shengquan's left kidney into XIAO Shun's body. On the third day post-surgery, the new kidney began functioning normally within XIAO Shun's body, with a very smooth recovery expected. It is anticipated that he will be transferred out of the intensive care unit in about a week.
Last night, I met XIAO Shengquan in the organ transplant ward at Tongji Hospital. In response to the reporter's questions, he simply said, "A father saving his son is an instinct. I have merely done what any father should do."
Daily battling against alcohol and nicotine addiction
XIAO Shengquan’s body recovered quickly due to pre-surgery adjustments, and he is scheduled to be discharged today. During the interview, XIAO Shengquan requested the reporter to withhold his son's name: "Saving my son is a father's instinct, there's nothing particularly special about it. The road ahead for my son is still long, there's no need for too many people to know. I don't want the kidney transplant matter to affect his future life."
Son needs urgent kidney replacement due to bilateral renal failure
XIAO Shun's daughter-in-law, HU Mingyan, told reporters that her father-in-law used to love fatty meat so much that he couldn't eat without it. However, after making the decision for a compatibility test, he stopped eating fatty meat entirely.
In July, XIAO Shengquan went to Tongji Hospital with his son for compatibility testing, which was 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. After detailed pre-surgery checks, Professor MING found that XIAO Shengquan might have cardiovascular disease risks, advising him to adjust his lifestyle by quitting smoking and drinking, as well as appropriately losing weight.
The next day, XIAO Shengquan put away his wine glass and threw away his cigarette box. Having held a wine glass during each of his three daily meals for 30 years, putting it down suddenly made him feel very uncomfortable. "Every time I picked up my rice bowl, I would think of wine, but my son is waiting for me to save his life, so even if I can't bear it, I must endure," said XIAO Shengquan. The hardest part was when the craving for alcohol hit, feeling like his heart was being clawed by a cat, and the food he ate had no taste. His nicotine addiction had lasted 20 years, averaging a pack of cigarettes every two days. When the cravings came, he could only eat some snacks to divert his attention. Being introverted, he ran every day before the boarding students woke up to avoid others knowing that he was going to donate a kidney to his son. As long as it didn't rain, he persisted in running 5 kilometers every day.
Yesterday, Xiaogang Middle School posted online, recounting this touching story and appealing for donations from teachers and students: "Teacher XIAO Shengquan works diligently and tirelessly, treats people gently, and his heroic act of donating his kidney to save his son interprets the true meaning of fatherly love being as steadfast as a mountain. 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 disclosed contact information: telephone number 0712-2612188; donation account: Agricultural Bank of China Xiaogang Sub-branch, Xiao Jun 6228481611718780813. (Reported by Journalist XIAO Qingqing, Communicators CHEN Shi, Cai Min)
After undergoing two months of dialysis, XIAO Shun's health deteriorated rapidly. The doctor said that if the kidney wasn't transplanted in time, there might be a risk to his life. After discussion among the family members, they decided that XIAO Shun's mother would undergo compatibility testing with him, as father XIAO Shengquan was the mainstay of the family, and it wouldn’t be wise for both father and son to take the risk. Unfortunately, the mother's kidney did not match successfully. "Saving my son's life is the most important thing, so I'll do it!" XIAO Shengquan did not hesitate for a moment. The family also knew that the usually reticent XIAO Shengquan never changed his mind once he had made a decision.