International Women’s Day | Strength in Gentleness: Saluting the “Her Power” of Jingyan

International Women’s Day | Strength in Gentleness: Saluting the “Her Power” of Jingyan

In the vibrant, blossoming days of March, we celebrate the 115th International Women’s Day.

On its philanthropic journey, the Beijing Jingyan Foundation has been fortunate to meet many remarkable women. They are professional, wise, kind, and resilient. With gentle yet strong shoulders, they shoulder the dual responsibilities of career and family. They persevere through challenges, using their maternal love to create a protective sky for children battling serious illnesses. Alongside Jingyan, they have safeguarded the lives and health of countless children, shining brilliantly in the currents of our era.

On this special day dedicated to women everywhere, we honor their dedication and achievements and pay tribute to the unstoppable “Her Power” of Jingyan.

Dr. WANG Chunjing, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital | A Healer’s Heart, Protecting Life

Shenzhen Children’s Hospital was the hospital where the Beijing Jingyan Foundation collaborated on the highest number of thalassemia cases in 2024. Over the course of the year, the Foundation and the hospital jointly supported 141 children from disadvantaged families in undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and post-operative anti-rejection treatment. Many of these children were patients under the care of Dr. WANG Chunjing from the Hematology-Oncology Department.

Dr. WANG began her medical career in 2008. After rotating through multiple departments, she chose to dedicate herself to the Hematology-Oncology Department.

In this department, every disease presents a formidable challenge. From lymphoma to leukemia, and then to thalassemia, each condition carries its own complexity and treatment difficulties. Dr. WANG’s choice was a courageous challenge she set for herself.

Recalling her early days in the leukemia team, Dr. WANG admitted, “That period was quite heavy. Facing such serious illnesses, every child and parent carried a tremendous psychological burden.” After engaging with transplantation cases, she observed that “this treatment brought some optimism to the children and their families.” Their hope inspired Dr. WANG and strengthened her resolve to specialize in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

For many years, the Hematology-Oncology Department at Shenzhen Children’s Hospital has ranked among the top in China and is the largest pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation center in South China. Here, Dr. WANG Chunjing faces numerous young patients whose lives are constantly under threat, and her responsibilities extend far beyond simply diagnosing and treating illnesses.

Dr. WANG Chunjing smiled as she described the doctors and the families of her patients in the department as “long-term strategic partners.” In other departments, patients may leave the hospital after just a few days of treatment, forming a short-term doctor-patient relationship. In the Hematology-Oncology Department, however, doctors are responsible for long-term follow-up with their young patients.

Dr. WANG Chunjing and her colleagues are responsible not only for evaluating and examining patients and donors before transplantation, but also for coordinating patient care during the procedure and managing post-transplant follow-ups and potential complications. The process is long and complex. Many children and their families develop a deep reliance on the doctors over the course of treatment, confiding in them as they would friends or family. Dr. WANG says, “This is a sign of the trust patients and their families place in us.”

This trust drives Dr. WANG to respond with even greater patience and dedication. Faced with sudden and serious blood disorders, patients and their families often bear immense financial and emotional burdens. Many find themselves in urgent need of treatment but unable to afford it. Dr. WANG seeks ways to help them persevere. Beyond finding more affordable medications as a “workaround solution,” she also connects families with charitable organizations to support their treatment. These efforts, while invaluable to the patients, add even more demands to her already busy schedule.

Beyond her hospital duties, Dr. WANG Chunjing also participates in charitable activities with her colleagues, providing medical consultations in remote areas. In September 2024, she joined the Beijing Jingyan Foundation’s Healthy China Tour in Zhenfeng, Guizhou. During the thalassemia diagnosis and treatment training for local grassroots doctors, Dr. WANG gave lectures on standardized diagnosis, treatment, and transplantation for thalassemia.

Despite her extremely busy schedule, seeing children recover successfully brings Dr. WANG a deep sense of fulfillment. She says, “At least everything I’ve done has meaning. If the children get better, I’m already very happy.”

As one of the departments closest to life-and-death situations, the Hematology and Oncology Department is full of challenges. Dr. WANG and her colleagues use their compassion and professional expertise to bring hope and the power of recovery to their patients.

Head Nurse QIAN Shuqin of Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital: A Leader and a True Caretaker

Busy, professional, and indispensable—these are our first impressions of QIAN Shuqin at work. She serves as the head nurse of the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department at the Children’s Medical Center of Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital.

The Children’s Medical Center of Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital is hailed as the “top pediatric center in Hunan,” and its Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department is among the first nationally designated treatment centers for childhood blood and tumor disorders, with over 50 years of experience in pediatric hematology and oncology care.

QIAN Shuqin’s day typically begins around 8 a.m. with the shift handover, but her responsibilities go far beyond what one might imagine. In addition to the well-known tasks of managing the team and coordinating patient care, she also handles the department’s charitable resource management and cross-departmental communication, among many other essential yet intricate duties.

When asked what essential skills are needed for such a demanding role, QIAN Shuqin answered without hesitation, “Professional skills are definitely the most important.” She explained, “Trust between us and the parents is crucial. Without their trust, I would have to explain every action I take, which wastes a lot of time.”

As the leader of the pediatric hematology-oncology nursing team, QIAN Shuqin brings sixteen years of pediatric nursing experience and solid professional expertise. These skills not only earn the trust of patients and their families but also provide strong support for doctors to carry out treatments smoothly and for children to receive care with confidence.

The children treated in the pediatric hematology-oncology department mostly suffer from serious conditions such as blood disorders and malignant tumors, which pose significant threats to their health and lives. Facing such a unique group of patients, the qualities often associated with women—empathy and compassion—become a “precise radar,” allowing female medical staff to connect more closely with patients and their families.

For QIAN Shuqin, this means striving to understand and address the needs of both children and their families, whether physical discomfort or emotional distress. It also requires maintaining patience amid a demanding workload and demonstrating tolerance and respect when dealing with families of different personalities and backgrounds. Her expectation for the nursing team is clear: “We strive to meet every reasonable request of our hospitalized children.”

Many parents experience extreme fear when they learn that their child has a serious illness. They must face not only the daunting disease itself but also the financial burden of expensive treatment. QIAN Shuqin’s role goes far beyond typical nursing duties. She comforts children and their families from a professional perspective, works closely with doctors to provide the best possible care, and actively seeks charitable resources to help cover treatment costs.

QIAN emphasizes that nurses must become “allies of the parents” in the fight against disease. She proudly notes, “Thanks to the joint efforts with Director HE, not a single patient in our department has ever had to stop treatment due to financial constraints.” Behind this statement lies a tremendous amount of work and dedication that is hard to fully measure.

QIAN Shuqin jokingly calls herself the “chief housekeeper.” In her department, the doctor–patient relationships are very harmonious. Whenever conflicts arise between parents, or even between couples, they turn to her for mediation. In her office, QIAN has even created a “secret base” for the young patients.

The “secret base” is stocked not only with delicious, child-friendly snacks but also with little rings for girls, stickers for boys, and all kinds of small toys. As long as the young patients cooperate with their treatment and show good behavior, they receive a “gift of encouragement.” These thoughtful gestures bring light to the long and monotonous hours of treatment, soothing the children’s bodies and minds after enduring illness. Every small act of care and every word of encouragement reflects QIAN Shuqin’s deep respect and cherishing of life.

In the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department at Hunan Provincial People’s Hospital, QIAN Shuqin and her colleagues combine exceptional professional expertise with meticulous humanistic care to provide the best possible support for their young patients, safeguarding their lives and health.

Meeting Three Courageous Mothers of Children with Thalassemia: Defining Strength Through Maternal Love

Among the more than 2,000 children who have received support from the Beijing Jingyan Foundation, we followed up with hundreds of families and met many mothers who have, year after year, accompanied their children on the challenging journey of seeking treatment. Confronted with harsh realities, many of these mothers break down in tears and repeatedly ask themselves, “Why me?” Yet after brief moments of grief, they often say, “My child is my responsibility for as long as they have a breath.” Through their resilience and courage, they embody the true spirit of “strength in motherhood.”

Xiaosong (pseudonym), who just turned 11 this year, recalls her childhood as mostly being in the hospital or on the way to one. Shortly after her birth in 2014, while taking her for routine vaccinations, her mother was told by a doctor, “Why is your child so jaundiced? You should have her tested for thalassemia.” Having never heard of thalassemia before, Xiaosong’s mother felt completely lost but followed through with the checkup. At Dehong People’s Hospital, Xiaosong was diagnosed with β-thalassemia major.

Xiaosong’s mother recalled that at first, it felt as if the whole world had turned gray. Yet she quickly pulled herself together and said, “If she’s sick, we’ll just treat it.” This simple statement marked the beginning of a long journey of treatment for the entire family.

Whenever they heard of a hospital with good treatment outcomes, they went there; whenever a certain medicine showed promise, they tried it. They even researched various dietary therapies, testing each one with Xiaosong in hopes of helping her.

When asked if she remembered how much they had spent on Xiaosong’s medical care, her mother replied, “I don’t remember.” Behind this seemingly casual answer lies a depth of hardship and heartache that perhaps only Xiaosong’s parents truly understand. Looking back, Xiaosong’s mother recalls that the couple worked tirelessly, taking every opportunity for odd jobs to make ends meet, yet the money was never enough and sometimes even affected Xiaosong’s treatment. When funds fell short, they borrowed from relatives and friends, sold anything of value at home, and even took out bank loans. Through all this, the family persevered until 2023—nine long years after Xiaosong’s diagnosis.

The mother’s persistence finally bore fruit. In 2023, Xiaosong underwent a hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and recovered successfully. Looking ahead, her mother’s greatest wish is simply for Xiaosong to be healthy and safe.

A similar story unfolded in Qinzhou, Guangxi, where Xixi’s family faced an even more arduous journey. In 2013, Xixi’s mother received the devastating news that both of her daughters had been diagnosed with severe thalassemia. Confronted with a disease she had never heard of, the doctor’s words left her in utter despair.

“The disease is a bottomless pit. The older the children get, the more money they need. Most families can’t even treat one child; you have two—just give up.” Hearing these words, Xixi’s mother couldn’t stop crying. After shedding her tears, she went home and told Xixi’s father the news. Without hesitation, they both resolved to do whatever it took to treat their daughters, no matter how difficult it was, and thus began the long journey of treatment.

Due to local blood shortages and financial constraints, the two children could only receive treatment at the hospital when sufficient blood and financial resources were available. As the children gradually developed the physical signs of thalassemia and related complications, Xixi’s mother resolved that they must undergo transplantation surgery.

In 2016, Xixi’s parents decided to start tissue typing for both children. Soon after, the Chinese Bone Marrow Donor Program brought good news: the younger sister had a fully matched donor and could be put in line for transplantation. Unfortunately, Xixi did not have a suitable donor. The family then pinned their hopes on the baby still in Xixi’s mother’s womb, hoping this child could be a match. Tragically, the baby’s tissue type did not match Xixi, leaving her still dependent on regular blood transfusions.

Despite the challenges, Qianqian’s mother never gave up and closely followed the latest treatment developments. As the technique of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation became increasingly mature, Qianqian finally had the opportunity for surgery. With the support of the Beijing Jingyan Foundation and other charitable organizations, she underwent the procedure in 2021 and made a full recovery.

A mother’s love is resilient and powerful, helping children overcome thalassemia. This selfless and pure love also teaches children how to care for the world around them. Speaking about her hopes for her daughters’ future, Qianqian’s mother said, “I hope they will always carry hearts of kindness and gratitude, and when they grow up and have the ability, they will help more people.”

Stories like those of Xiaosong and Qianqian bring hope to countless children with thalassemia, and many mothers continue to persevere alongside their children on this challenging journey.

Yuting, born in 2016, is preparing for her upcoming hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. To undergo the procedure, her ferritin level needs to be below 3,500 ng/ml, but her current level exceeds 20,000 ng/ml. After a month of treatment, it has decreased to around 7,000 ng/ml, yet it still falls short of the requirement for surgery. She is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Kunming, hoping to be eligible for the procedure as soon as possible.

Yuting is now nine years old. She was diagnosed with thalassemia when she was just two months old, and more than eight years of treatment have already led to various complications in her body. Yuting comes from a single-parent family in Yunnan and lives with her mother and older brother. Yet, during her hospital treatment this time, she is accompanied by her grandfather, who is battling cancer himself.

Yuting’s mother shared that her life feels like a stack of endless misfortunes. She is divorced and raising two children, her father is battling cancer, her mother struggles with a mental illness, and her daughter suffers from severe thalassemia. Many long nights are spent quietly in tears, wondering, “What did I do in my past life to deserve all of this? Why does everything bad happen to me?” Yet when dawn comes, she grits her teeth and keeps going.

The doctors informed her that Yuting’s surgery and treatment will cost 400,000 yuan. To reach this goal, she works tirelessly every day. She told us that once Yuting’s medical indicators allow for the surgery, she will do whatever it takes—selling anything of value—just to get her daughter the operation she needs.

Closing Remarks

The power of women needs no single definition—it only needs to be seen, felt, and remembered.

We honor the real, lived power of women, those who write their lives with courage and love, filling the world with warmth and the future with hope.

This Women’s Day, we celebrate you.

May you bloom like spring flowers—graceful, vibrant, and endlessly strong.