Zhang Yu

JeniZhang13@163.com

AT the age of 91, Li Xiuqiong is still hale and hearty. Though she walks with a cane, the feisty old lady is firm with her intention to donate her whole body to patients who need organ transplants or to medical science after her death.

On April 13, Li came to the Red Cross Society of China Shenzhen Branch to register for a whole-body donation. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision; rather, she has been thinking about it for years.

“I felt like it is about time to make plans as to how to dispose of my body at this old age. My life was once saved in a hospital, so my life should be given back to the medical community,” Li told Shenzhen Daily.

Li said she highly regards the health care system, as she was once a wartime nurse for the Yuezhong Column of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during the War of Liberation (1946-49).

She said the timing is appropriate as this year marks the centenary anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China (CPC). Having been a staunch Party member for 72 years, Li is a living witness to the country’s hard-earned peace and prosperity under CPC’s leadership.

“It will be the last contribution after I pass away,” Li said about her donation plan.

Joining the

revolutionary cause

Li was born in 1930 to a comfortably-off family in the ancient town of Xiguan, now located in Liwan District, in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province. She was the daughter of a local businessman’s concubine.

Unable to give birth to a boy, Li’s mother was humiliated and mistreated by the first wife and passed away due to depression and pulmonary tuberculosis when Li was only 2 years old.

Li’s life didn’t turn any better following her mother’s death, as her father soon had a second concubine who would grind her down in every possible way. Li was not allowed to further her education after she graduated from junior high school and was arranged by the family to get married.

“I couldn’t stand staying in the family any more so I talked my father into letting me go to my sister-in-law in Hong Kong,” Li said. “We reached an agreement that he would send me meal allowances every month, but he did so for only three months and I had to make my own living afterward.”

Li worked as a child laborer in factories until she was admitted to a nursing program in the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals in Hong Kong, where she got acquainted with several secret communists.

“I was mobilized to join the troops in Guangdong, so I later quit school before I finished the nursing program,” said Li, adding that she wouldn’t have had the opportunity to join the armed forces if she were born into a warm and loving family.

Li subsequently became a part of the Yuezhong Column of the PLA. “Instead of carrying a gun, I carried a medicine box,” she said with a touch of humor.

Day in and day out, Li took care of wounded soldiers and sometimes had to carry the injured on her back despite her thin and small frame.

In February 1949, she submitted an application to join the CPC. In August the same year, she passed the appraisal and officially became a Party member.

“I’ve joined the CPC for 72 years and I’ve participated in the Party building process. Every historical period has its own requirements for a competent Party member and we all work hard to live up to expectations,” said Li.

In 2019, the country awarded Li a commemorative medal for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

The last contribution

Whatever the vicissitudes of her life, Li always exudes an air of easy assurance and calm when she shares her life experiences.

“I think the CPC has brought a lot of happiness to me and my family. I feel fulfilled and gratified. Life is a kaleidoscope and it’s normal to have obstacles,” Li noted. “I was indomitable when serving the people and I managed to overcome all difficulties.”

Li said she is being a little “rebellious” against traditions because she doesn’t want her children to hold a memorial service for her or to make any flower arrangements during her funeral ceremony.

“I hope that my body will be given to the hospital and that the medical workers can bow three times in front of my body, which will be immensely precious for me. And [donating the body] is the last contribution I can make,” Li said.

Li’s husband and three children support her decision. “My younger daughter gave me the thumbs up and said ‘Mom, you are awesome.’ My first daughter said she will follow suit after she reaches my age.”

Li said her son was reluctant when she first asked him to help contact the Red Cross Society. “He believed it was too soon for me to think about such a matter in good health.” Li’s husband, who was the last one in the family to know about her plan, tacitly consented to her choice.

“Now that I have made my plan I feel at ease. My after-death arrangements are properly settled and it won’t be much trouble to anyone,” said Li.

Gao Min, an organ donation coordinator with the Red Cross Society of China Shenzhen Branch, expressed deep respect for Li’s benevolence and selfless spirit.

“She spoke calmly and eloquently and her story has this thrilling power that not only makes people feel touched but strikes a chord with the listeners,” said Gao.

The ever-changing city

Li and her husband have been witnessing the sea change happening in Shenzhen since the city’s establishment in 1979. Before she retired, Li worked at China Shenzhen Foreign Trade (Group) Corp. Ltd., which developed out of the Shenzhen Municipal Foreign Trade Bureau.

Li recalled that there were some periods when many people from the mainland flocked to Hong Kong in pursuit of a better life. Now, more Hong Kong residents are looking north, trying to cultivate a share of China’s booming economy.

“Shenzhen is changing every day. We feel very lucky to be able to enjoy the lucid waters and lush mountains in Shenzhen, a pioneer in reform and development,” she said.

“The city treats us very well and takes special care of the elderly. We are living a pleasant life,” Li remarked.

Li has kept herself busy after retirement, having attended classes at the university for the elderly for years. She enjoys a wide range of hobbies including reading, singing, photography, practicing calligraphy and playing the piano.

Li attributes her longevity to a good attitude, refusing to worry and staying active. “I won’t leave a misgiving till tomorrow. I keep a diary and I write down my thoughts, how I solved a problem or in what way I can solve it.”