Shanghai student becomes 1st hematopoietic stem cell donor of 2026

A 22-year-old graduate student from East China University of Science and Technology became the first hematopoietic stem cell donor of the year in Shanghai on Thursday.

The donation by Li Zhenglin from the School of Information Science and Engineering offered hope for a critically ill patient suffering from a blood disorder in a remote province.

The collection process, which took nearly five hours to complete at Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, marks Li as the 777th hematopoietic stem cell donor in the city.

Li's journey began in March 2023 when he attended a seminar on stem cell donation. Inspired by the story of a senior who donated stem cells to a leukemia patient, he immediately registered with the China Marrow Donor Program.

"This is the most meaningful and proudest thing I have ever done. Being able to illuminate the life of another makes every effort worthwhile," said Li.

By the end of 2025, the Shanghai branch of the China Marrow Donor Program had approximately 190,000 registered volunteers and completed over 700 successful donations.