Parents of Chinese girl, 3, donate her organs after fatal accident, saves 3 critically ill children

On Mar. 23, a solemn farewell ceremony was held in an operating room at the Children's Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

According to Chinese media, the ceremony was to meant to mark the completion of an organ donation operation of a girl, aged three years and five months, who had passed away following an accident near her home.

Her parents subsequently decided to donate her liver and kidneys, thereby giving three critically ill children a new lease of life.

Decision

On Mar. 11, the girl, nicknamed Xiao Jiu Mei (transliteration from Mandarin), had been playing near her home when she met with a fatal accident.

She was rushed to the hospital, but never regained consciousness.

She was then transferred to the emergency department and paediatric intensive care unit of the Children's Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

When her parents learned that their daughter's life could not be saved, they initially planned to bury her as soon as possible according to the customs of their village.

However, upon listening to the hospital's organ donation coordinator about donating her organs, they changed their minds.

The girl's father recounted the anxiety they felt while their daughter was in the ICU for emergency treatment and added that they hoped this donation could save other children in need.

At the post-operation ceremony on Mar. 23, her parents broke down, saying that while their daughter was only three years old, she was sensible and did not cause them much worry.

Top images via Zhejiang Online and Guangming Daily