Brother Yang Zhihui, an ordinary plumber, has donated blood totalling more than 80,000 milliliters since 1993.
Born in 1960, Yang whose parents were Christians, frequently attended church in his youth. He joined in the part-time Bible training program for four years.
After Hangzhou's Gulou Church which was founded by the American Presbyterian Church in 1885, was reopened in 1980, he began serving in the church's choir and later was transferred to join the choir of the local Sicheng Church.
He said, "What moves me the most in the Bible is the Ten Commandments: You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony against your neighbor, you shall not take advantage of people and shall honor your parents. The world would be peaceful if everyone would follow the Commandments in conducting themmselves!"
The first time I met Brother Yang in Sicheng Church, he wore a yellow cargo jacket, blue cargo pants and galoshes. As an employee of a Hangzhou water utility company, he is in charge of installing and monitoring water lines in Xihu District.
In 1993 he gave the first blood donation. He often went to the hospital or to a blood donation station in the morning. The usual amount of blood donated was 400 or 800 milliliters. After the donation he woould go to work in the afternoon without having a rest.
He donated 13 times in 2008. Because of his age, he stopped donating blood at the end of 2016. The total volume he had donated amounted to about 80,000 milliliters.
He confessed, "Although we have advances in science, there still is no substitute for blood. As a citizen and Christian, I should do what is right in the eyes of everyone. Donating blood helps others and also helps me be a witness for the Lord. There is no loss."
A sister in the Sicheng Church choir who had been suffering from leukemia for seven years failed to get the needed amount of blood for a transfusion. Knowing about her situation, Yang gave her his donor card to guarantee enough blood for a blood transfusion for her.
Once, Yang came to a hospital to give a blood donation. A woman approached him, clutched his hand and said hopelessly, "My son has leukemia. However, because he failed to get enough blood, the doctor refused to give him a transfusion. Could you give your quota to me?"
He immediately rolled up his sleeves and offered 800 milliliters of blood. There were many other similar cases.
At the age of 60, Yang will retire from work next year. "As Christians we should be salt and light. Pastors often exhort Christians to be consecrated in their workplace, in society and in life in general so that people may tell that they are Christians, exhibiting Christ's life by their good deeds. My heart praises the Lord that I don't bring shame on the two (Chinese) characters, 基督 (Christ)."
Yang has received many certificates of honor from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the Red Cross Society of China, and other organizations.
- Translated by Karen Luo
(The author is a co-worker of the Hangzhou Christian Council and Three-Self Patriotic Movement.)
