Huang Zhenpeng, a young security guard from Guangzhou, donated hemopoietic stem cells to a 38-year-old male leukemia patient on the morning of Dec. 21. In order to do this, he was forced to resign from his job because the company he worked for refused to grant his leave.

Huang is from Shantou in south China's Guangdong province. In June 2010, he donated blood for the first time: 400 milliliters of blood cells and plasma (known collectively as "whole blood"). Later, he learned that people who have donated whole blood are required to wait six months between donations, so he decided to donate other blood components so he could make a donation every two weeks. So far, Huang has donated blood components 40 times. Every two weeks, he donates two units of blood platelets. He said that he wants to prove to more people that donating blood and hemopoietic stem cells will not impair one's own health. 

In January 2012, 25-year-old Huang registered as a voluntary donor of hemopoietic stem cells in Guangzhou. This March, a worker at the China Marrow Donor Program contacted him. Huang's marrow matched that of a leukemia patient, so he was notified to prepare for the donation. However, due to the patient's unstable condition, the donation was delayed until December. Huang asked for one week's leave in order to make the donation. His boss refused because he worried that the donation could cause damage to Huang's health, and that Huang would no longer be strong enough to work as a security guard. Huang failed to persuade his boss, so he chose to resign. He couldn't take away the hope of life for another person. 

On Dec. 16, Huang was hospitalized at the General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA. After several days of mobilizing the hemopoietic stem cells, Huang donated 300 milliliters of stem cell suspension on Dec. 21. Huang never met the patient who would receive his cells.