A 17-YEAR-OLD boy’s body and corneas were donated by his family after he died of vascular tumors at a Shenzhen hospital Wednesday, the Daily Sunshine reported Thursday.

The boy, identified by his family name Ning, was diagnosed with vascular tumors in 2013. He had undergone multiple surgeries over the past four years, but his condition didn’t improve.

Ning was brought to Shenzhen No. 3 People’s Hospital on Dec. 12 after experiencing intense pain in the left of his chest. His condition worsened as multiple vascular tumors were found in his body, and he passed away at around 4 a.m. Wednesday.

Ning’s parents are employees at the hospital. His mother, Jiang Linju, is a nurse, and his father, Ning Xinzhong, is a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Ning’s teachers, classmates and many medical workers along with Ning’s parents gathered at the hospital to bid farewell to the teenager as his body was moved to an ambulance heading to Shenzhen University at around 10 a.m. Wednesday.

According to Gao Min, a coordinator of the Shenzhen branch of the Red Cross Society of China, Ning’s body was donated to the medical school of Shenzhen University, and his corneas would help two blind people restore their vision. The cornea transplant surgeries were performed at Shenzhen Eyes Hospital on Thursday.

Ning was in his senior year at Hongling Senior High School. One of his teachers, surnamed Liao, said Ning was an optimistic boy who always brought joy and happiness to others. She said Ning’s academic performance was among the best in the class and he always took part in school activities with his classmates.

Liao organized a memorial meeting for Ning in her class Wednesday afternoon. Ning’s classmates wrote down what they wanted to say to Ning and his parents on paper and put them into a gift box, which will be given to his parents, according to the report. (Zhang Yang)