Transplant games celebrate perseverance
Nation aims to increase wider acceptance of organ donation among the public
On a clear day in June, lung transplant recipient Xuanxuan stepped up to the start line of his sprint race and prepared to dash, something that would have been unimaginable just a few years earlier.
For the 20-year-old, his transplant surgery has given him a new lease on life. "I love the feeling of the cooling breeze on my skin, and I enjoy letting my mind wander off when I sprint," he said.
Xuanxuan, who is using a pseudonym to protect his privacy, was unable to run or even walk long distances due to pulmonary fibrosis — a condition where damaged and scarred lung tissue causes severe breathing difficulties.
However, thanks to a double lung transplant surgery in late 2019, he's been able to return to school and took this year's national college entrance examination in early June. And in his spare time he likes to hit the track.
Xuanxuan was one of some 400 organ recipients who took part in the eighth China Organ Transplant Games held in Wuhan, Hubei province, on June 11 and 12.
