With Gentle Shoulders, She Bears the Responsibility; Her Power' Warms the World

With Gentle Shoulders, She Bears the Responsibility; Her Power' Warms the World

In modern society, the roles of women are increasingly diverse and multifaceted. They are intelligent, independent, determined, strong, compassionate, and loving, each shining brightly in their respective fields.

The power to transform lives and the world has never been confined to gender. The Beijing Jingyan Foundation, in its journey of public welfare, works hand in hand with many exceptional women—outstanding healthcare professionals, dedicated social workers and volunteers, as well as countless resilient and powerful mothers.

As we approach the 114th International Women's Day, let us take a moment to celebrate these remarkable "Jingyan Partners."

The Rose in White: Safeguarding Life

YAO Hongxia is renowned as a hematology expert in the eyes of her patients, a respected leader in her field, and the beloved "Mama Yao" to children with thalassemia.

Currently, YAO Hongxia serves as the head of the Hematology and Oncology Department at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center Hainan Branch and Sanya Women and Children’s Hospital. After earning her graduate degree in 1994, the young YAO moved to Hainan, where she has remained for three decades.

Hainan is one of China’s regions most affected by thalassemia. Epidemiological studies show that 10%-15% of the permanent population in Hainan carries the thalassemia gene, with some minority areas having a gene carrier rate as high as 55%.

In the 1990s, Hainan faced significant disparities in living conditions, medical services, and research facilities compared to major cities. Thalassemia was widespread, and there were no effective treatments, compounded by a general lack of awareness about prevention and screening. As a result, the number of severe thalassemia cases continued to rise.

Lacking research funding, YAO Hongxia applied for national science grants. With limited data, she personally conducted surveys and research, visiting villages across Hainan to understand the extent of the issue.

YAO Hongxia’s contributions to thalassemia research have been groundbreaking. During her research in Hainan’s Li ethnic areas, she made the world’s first discovery of an abnormality in the red blood cell membrane protein of β-thalassemia, offering a "Chinese solution" for treating similar thalassemia cases globally. This achievement gained international recognition when it was published in leading medical journals. She was subsequently invited to teach and study at prestigious institutions in Italy, Cyprus, and other countries.

After gaining international experience, YAO Hongxia brought advanced thalassemia prevention and treatment techniques back to China. Under her leadership, Hainan successfully performed the province’s first bone marrow transplant for a thalassemia patient.

Beyond her medical expertise, YAO Hongxia embodies the compassionate spirit of a true healer. As the president of the Hainan Thalassemia Care Association, she has led efforts to reduce the economic burden on patients. In collaboration with government agencies, she helped design an insurance plan for thalassemia treatment. Additionally, she has partnered with charitable organizations to bring initiatives like the Building Love for Thalassemia Action project from the Beijing Jingyan Foundation to Hainan, securing essential financial support for local children with thalassemia.

Understanding that prevention is key to breaking the cycle of thalassemia, YAO Hongxia and her team have spent decades promoting awareness. Armed with informative boards, they’ve traveled from village to village in high-risk areas, sharing vital knowledge about prevention and control.

In the southernmost reaches of China, YAO Hongxia is a household name among families affected by thalassemia. For thirty years, with unwavering commitment, she has led the charge in advancing thalassemia prevention and treatment in Hainan, protecting the lives and futures of countless children, and giving them hope for a healthier tomorrow.

Spread Love, Impact Lives

Busy, intricate, closely connected with the children, and of profound significance—this is the first impression we have of Wang Xiaoying’s work. WANG Xiaoying is the head of the Patient Services Department at the Southern Chunfu (Children’s) Hematology Research Institute of Dongguan Taixin Hospital.

The Patient Services Department is responsible for a wide range of internal tasks, including patient consultations, appointment scheduling, medical services, handling issues during hospitalization, follow-up visits, and more, covering every stage of the patient's journey—before, during, and after diagnosis, as well as pre-hospital, in-hospital, and post-hospital phases. Externally, the department works tirelessly to integrate various social resources to help patients overcome illness and difficulties. WANG Xiaoying sums up her role succinctly: "We are the hub between the hospital and the patients, serving as a bridge."

The Southern Chunfu (Children’s) Hematology Research Institute is one of the world’s largest pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplant centers. Compared to other medical institutions, its patients are somewhat “special”—they are young, frequently hospitalized, and 80% of them come from outside the area. With long treatment cycles, these children often become disconnected from society and school, and many lack friends due to being unable to attend school or temporarily being suspended from classes.

The long-term medical treatment away from home, immense financial burdens, a monotonous medical routine, and unimaginable mental stress—all of these put great strain on the family relationships of the children. WANG Xiaoying explains, "What we can do is accompany them—long-term, thoughtful companionship—standing by the children and their families as they face this special period together.

The unique qualities of women—sensitivity, empathy, warmth, and emotional depth—make this companionship even more powerful and comforting. Within the hospital, WANG Xiaoying and her colleagues organize a variety of activities: in collaboration with public welfare organizations, they open "ward schools" to provide educational support for children in the wards; when the local blood bank is in urgent need, they immediately mobilize medical staff and family members to participate in blood donations; on Children’s Day, they partner with social welfare groups and compassionate volunteers to bring gifts to the hospital wards; during the Spring Festival, they organize activities for children to write Spring Festival couplets and paste the character for "blessing," celebrating the New Year together...

During our interview, we encountered a heartwarming "misunderstanding." Many organizations arranged for female employees to take half a day off on International Women’s Day (March 8th), but when we asked WANG Xiaoying how she spent the day, she immediately spoke of their warm activities in the hospital. During that week, they brought cameras and carefully prepared props into the wards, capturing beautiful moments with the mothers and female caregivers of the children, offering a gesture of warmth to those women who have been standing by their children's side through their challenging medical journey.

Every thoughtful gesture and caring word generate uplifting strength and leaves lasting memories. Each activity that WANG Xiaoying and her colleagues meticulously plan goes beyond the event itself. It’s the emotional investment and genuine care that serve as the enduring source of strength for these resilient children and their families as they continue their medical battle.

Resilient Love, Extraordinary in the Ordinary

Thalassemia children are often called "million-dollar babies" or "ten-million-dollar babies" due to the high treatment risks and exorbitant medical expenses. The families of these children often bear immense emotional trauma and financial burdens. Through countless interactions with families affected by thalassemia, we deeply understand the tremendous energy and resilience that a mother’s love can provide in their child’s medical journey.

Xiaoyu was born in Wenshan, Yunnan. In 2011, just after birth, Xiaoyu was diagnosed with thalassemia. The doctors told her parents that there were no good treatment options available and that the only thing they could do was blood transfusions to keep her alive. As for the medical costs, it seemed like an endless pit, with no way to estimate how much it would take to cure her.

Faced with this diagnosis, Xiaoyu’s father suggested giving up. If Xiaoyu’s mother agreed to let go, they could continue their life together. But if they wanted to keep fighting for her, they would have to carry on the medical journey alone.

It was a mother's unconditional, unwavering decision to save her child. Xiaoyu’s mother said, "As long as she is alive, I will never give up." This simple phrase, "I won’t give up," set Xiaoyu on her medical journey and marked the beginning of her mother’s life of working tirelessly while caring for and treating Xiaoyu. Day after day, year after year, they endured.

In 2022, Xiaoyu finally underwent a stem cell transplant. After follow-up treatment and observation, Xiaoyu and her mother began a "normal, ordinary" life in 2023. Xiaoyu went to school, and her mother worked to support them.

The 12 years spent by this mother and daughter were not just the passage of time but a testament to love and perseverance, culminating in a beautiful outcome.

Since its establishment, the Beijing Jingyan Foundation has witnessed countless efforts and struggles from children and their families, encountering many moving stories of "Xiaoyu's mothers."

Qiaoqiao, a 10-year-old girl from the Bouyei ethnic group in Guizhou, was diagnosed with severe thalassemia when she was less than one year old. Her family spared no effort yet still found themselves deep in debt. Qiaoqiao’s mother told us, “Even if others told us to give up, we never once considered it.” After seven years of seeking medical treatment, Qiaoqiao underwent surgery in 2021 with the help of the Beijing Jingyan Foundation and was successfully discharged. Her stem cells were donated by her mother.

Motherly love is not only resilient and powerful in helping children defeat illness but also selfless and pure. It nurtures children in love, teaching them how to love the world.

Chencheng, a 6-year-old boy from Hunan, also suffered from severe thalassemia. His mother, as a half-matched donor, helped him undergo a stem cell transplant.

Watching Chencheng happily running after his recovery, his mother shared with us, “If he grows up and achieves something, I hope he can be like Jingyan and help more people.”

In Closing

From historical milestones to personal life paths, the impact of women is ever-present.

They are strong and resilient, gentle yet unyielding.

They are mothers, daughters, wives, and confidantes.

They are leaders, contributors, and agents of transformation.

They refuse to be defined, and they never cease to move forward.

The power of women is both tender and steadfast, vibrant and formidable, making society better.

On International Women's Day, let us honor every extraordinary "her"!