THOSE with good souls will be rewarded when in need of help. A 37-year-old bone marrow donor in Shenzhen received help and support from many when they learned that the man, Gen Guanglei, was badly injured in a road accident last month.

Gen came to Shenzhen a few years ago and in 2012 made his name remarkable at the city’s blood center by donating bone marrow to save a female leukemia patient in Taiwan.

Gen was the first person in the city to donate bone marrow to save a Taiwan patient. His donation saved the 49-year-old woman and he has continued donating blood.

However, tragedy occurred to Gen and his family Sept. 21 when he was knocked down by a taxi while riding a bike in Longgang District.

Gen had multiple fractures all over his body and the lower part of his right tibia suffered from several comminuted fractures. His right ankle was also badly fractured with damage to nerves and blood vessels.

The cost of his first surgery amounted to over 80,000 yuan (US$12,156). Gen was the only breadwinner in his family but he did not have a stable job. The Gens spent almost all of their savings on his first surgery and they were told that follow-up surgeries and treatment would cost another 200,000 yuan.

Gen’s friends suggested that he raise money on the Internet, but Gen did not agree. So, Gen’s family posted his story on the Internet while keeping him in the dark. Some people who were also bone marrow donors and knew Gen learned about his tough situation.

Besides lending a hand to the family by donating money, these donors also spread the news on their social media platforms to let more people to hear his story and help out Gen who had been helping others in silence.

“He is a loving and kind person, and we ought to help him out when he himself is in great need of support,” one of the bone marrow volunteers commented on the fund-raising platform.

Learning about Gen’s difficulties, the director of Shenzhen Blood Center made a visit to see Gen and encouraged him with support of all kinds.

Gen said he felt grateful to people who lent him a hand, and he said he would continue to donate blood to pay back society when he recovers from his injuries. (Zhang Qian)