Man Sells His Life to Save His Wife in China

Man sells his life to save his wife Hebei province in China.

On the busy streets of Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, a 29 year-old man named He Chao from Congzhou kneels on the sidewalk. He looks at every person walking by and explains to anyone who will listen, "I am not begging here, I just want to save my wife's life. I am selling myself to raise money for my wife's surgery. If anyone gives me the money for her surgery, I will work for him for free for the rest of my life. Help us, please!"

He and his 24 year-old wife Lili Pan were married in 2007. He is a car salesman, and his wife works in a supermarket. Together they make 4000 Yuan (U.S. $600) per month. They belong to the middle class in China. They were living a peaceful and happy life before his wife became ill. In March of last year, Lili was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. They spent all of their savings for her treatment, and they are 300,000 Yuan ($45,000) in debt. Recently her doctor told them the hospital found a match with the hematopoietic cells Lili needs, but the bone marrow transplant surgery costs more than 500,000 Yuan ($75,000). In China you have to pay the doctor before the surgery will be done. If you don't have enough money, the doctor will not do anything for you even in an emergency.

October 27 was his third day in Shijiazhuang. A lot of people stood around him, some handed him 5, 10, or 100 yuan bills. He put them in his pocket carefully and thanked them. He told a reporter that he hoped that some company or factory would "buy" him. If they gave him the money for the surgery, he would promise to work for them for free for the rest of his life. He had already been to other big cities such as Tianjin, Beijing and Changzhou, but so far no one has hired him. "My wife knew I 'd tried anything to borrow the money for her surgery. She didn't want to see me sell myself, so she said she's going to give up...” Tears started to run down his cheek. "I hope there is a miracle," He Chao said. "Otherwise, I have no idea what else I can do to raise money for her."