Song Shurui, a 17-year-old from Chengdu, China is afflicted with leukemia and had to undergo a bone marrow transplant in December last year.
Unfortunately, she contracted a severe lung infection after the surgery which put her life in grave danger, as reported by Chinese newspaper Chengdu Commercial Daily via the South China Morning Post today.
Dai Qinjia, Shurui’s mother, was told by doctors in Chengdu that her daughter had little chance of recovery, and transferred her to the intensive care unit. She was also told by the doctors that the drug Cidofovir, which is not sold in mainland China, could help in alleviating Song’s symptoms.
Dai, at her wits end, appealed on social media last month in an attempt to help her in finding the said drug. By the power of the internet and one stranger’s kindness, Dai was able to obtain the Cidofovir drug. The unnamed man, as quoted by Dai, also had a daughter with leukemia and used the drug, which they were able to purchase in Hong Kong.
“When Dai called me for the drug’s information at about 2am, she cried all the time and repeatedly said ‘Please help save my daughter,’’’ the unnamed man was quoted as saying.
The man bought the drug later on that day and made sure it was shipped immediately to Shenzhen airport to reach Dai. He then asked another person, also unnamed, to fly on the same day to Chengdu to personally deliver the drug to the hospital. Song was able to receive the medications just 14 hours after they were purchased.
Song positively responded to the medication, as her temperature started to stabilize just a few days after the medicine was administered to her. As of late, Song is still in the hospital making a full recovery, and still hopes to become an air stewardess in the near future.
Her mother Dai, on the other hand, is more than grateful for the help they received. “I really wanted to bow to everyone who helped me buy the drug,” Dai said in the report. “Without any of them, my daughter might already have passed away and I cannot imagine how I could live my life without my daughter.”
Truly, there are unknown heroes in real life. They do not fly nor do they wear capes, but they just may be the person sitting right next to you, or some compassionate stranger browsing the internet. Cody Cepeda/JB
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